Local Insights

Duncan Maguire and Paul Ramara of Spoor & Fisher explain how Tanzania’s recently introduced trademark recordation system now accepts ARIPO and foreign registrations, while national filings remain the strongest enforcement tool

New patent and utility model procedures and updated fees form part of a legislative update to the Bangui Agreement that became effective in the new year, explains Craig Kahn of Spoor & Fisher Jersey

James Davies and Vishen Pillay at Adams & Adams discuss IP protection strategies and ownership considerations for AI

Recently, the Korean Supreme Court made a key decision regarding how to read the prior art when making an inventive step determination (2013 Hu 2873 and 2880 (consolidated), January 14 2016).

Three years ago, Korea adopted a new patent term adjustment (PTA) system. As many readers know, PTA is a system that allows extension of a patent term to the patent owner to compensate for an unreasonable delay during the prosecution phase.

In 2016, Korea has been substantially re-shaping its IP system. One such change is the Trade Mark Act, which has been comprehensively re-drafted. One of the main changes in trade mark is the non-use cancellation of the registered mark. When a registered trade mark has not been used in Korea for three consecutive years, third parties can seek to cancel it on the grounds of non-use. According to the existing Act, only an interested party can request cancellation of a non-used mark. However, under the new system, legal standing is no longer required; therefore, any person may request cancellation of a non-used registered mark. The new system is expected to accelerate the procedure and give more opportunity to those who actually intend to use the mark by remedying weaknesses in the registration system.

Igor Charles and Théo Coquis of INLEX analyse a Paris Judicial Court ruling confirming that trademark exhaustion applies to bundled genuine products where the original packaging remains unaltered

Vera Albino of Inventa explores how Portuguese wine producers use seemingly offensive names rooted in local history and folklore, and why trademark law often permits their registration

Peter Koefoed of Inspicos examines how the EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal referral G 1/26 could clarify the application of G 1/24 when assessing the allowability of amended patent claims under the EPC

Eduardo Hallak, Juliana Neves, and Sarah Lucas of Licks Attorneys examine Brazil's growing debate over patent term adjustment and the legislative proposals seeking to address examination delays

Stephania Cardiel of Becerril, Coca & Becerril examines how recent reforms signal a regional move towards faster, more internationally aligned innovation systems

Roberta Arantes of Daniel Law looks at how the Brazilian legal landscape has responded to shifts in the concept of branding and its related levels of protection

Red Points, in partnership with Managing IP hosted a webinar on April 7 at 9am PDT / 12pm EDT / 5pm BST to discuss best practices in uncovering and dismantling large-scale counterfeiters

Mauricio Sámano of OLIVARES explores how the pandemic has changed IP processes for businesses in Mexico

Santiago Pedroza of OLIVARES looks at how the opposition procedure has undergone changes to protect right holders

Raluca Vasilescu of Cabinet M Oproiu considers how AI and pricing pressures could affect patent attorneys’ work in the near future

Nick Aries of Bird & Bird LLP examines how agentic AI could reshape brand discovery, trademark enforcement, and comparative advertising, and outlines key risks for brand owners

Tariq Shajahan and Willem Niesing of NLO analyse dredging-related patent filings in key jurisdictions and highlight contrasting Western and Asian approaches to innovation, from component-level engineering to system-wide methodologies and AI-driven optimisation