News - April 2026

1. New international search options now available
2. EPO and IP Australia PCT pilot programme enters into force starting 1 March 2026
3. AI-assisted minute-taking extended to Unitary Patent oral proceedings
4. Republic of Moldova to become 40th EPO member state
5. TIPO Launches New Patent Annuity Reduction Policy: One-Time Application for Multi-Year Continuous Eligibility
6. Korea Ranks No.1 in the World in Patents for Micro LED Transfer Technology
7. ARIPO Joins the Global Patent Prosecution Highway System
8. Publication of Japan-China-Korea Concordance List of Similar Group Codes (Corresponding to Nice Classification 13th edition, version 2026 (NCL13-2026))
9. ARIPO launches 2026 Edition of the Banjul Protocol on trademarks
10. Albania is First to Join WIPO’s Riyadh Design Law Treaty

Patent applicants can now choose the European Patent Office (EPO) or Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) for international search and examination. From 1 March 2026, Australian innovators can access expanded international search options under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), giving them more choice, reduced costs and greater flexibility in their international patent strategy.

Patent applicants in Australia can now nominate either the European Patent Office (EPO) or the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) as their  International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the PCT…

Source URL:- https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/news-and-community/news/new-international-search-options-now-available

As of 1 March 2026, Australian applicants are able to designate the EPO as their International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), marking the start of a two-year pilot programme.  

The programme is open to applicants filing their international applications either with IP Australia or with the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization as Receiving Office…

Source URL:- https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/news/epo-and-ip-australia-pct-pilot-programme-enters-force-starting-1-march-2026

Following a successful pilot phase, the EPO is extending the use of AI to support minute-taking in oral proceedings before the Unitary Patent Protection Division (UPPD). Following the positive results of the 2025 pilot, the European Patent Office (EPO) is extending AI-assisted minute-taking to oral proceedings before the Unitary Patent Protection Division. The approach is already used in oral proceedings in examination, opposition, before the Receiving Section and the Legal Division. This step further integrates AI-supported tools into the patent-granting process, while maintaining full human oversight and responsibility for the final minutes…

Source URL:- https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/news/ai-assisted-minute-taking-extended-unitary-patent-oral-proceedings

The Republic of Moldova is due to become the 40th contracting state of the European Patent Organisation on 1 June 2026. The country has taken the final step towards acceding to the European Patent Convention (EPC) by depositing its instrument of accession on 25 March 2026.

Co-operation between the EPO and the Republic of Moldova dates back to the mid-1990s and developed significantly with the signing of a validation agreement in October 2013, which entered into force on 1 November 2015. The validation agreement enabled applicants seeking patent protection…

Source URL:- https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/news/republic-moldova-become-40th-epo-member-state

To enhance administrative efficiency, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) has streamlined the application procedures for patent annuity reductions. This policy applies to two specific groups: (1) domestic and foreign businesses that meet the "Standards for Identifying Small and Medium-sized Enterprises," and (2) foreign educational institutions accredited by the Ministry of Education. Eligible patentees will now enjoy a more convenient process when applying for annuity reductions…

Source URL:- https://www.tipo.gov.tw/en/tipo2/363-76337.html

Korean patented technologies bring Team Korea’s emotional Winter Olympic moments to life -

LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, and LG Display among the top 3 to stand out globally in patent filings - 

#The dynamic performances of Korean national athletes at the 2026 Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics captivated audiences around the world. In sports where every 0.01 second counts, ultra-high-definition displays powered by micro LED technologies deliver the intensity of the competition directly to viewers. For those unable to witness the event in person, massive digital billboards and video walls installed at public viewing sites vividly brought the action to cheering crowds across the country…

Source URL:- https://www.kipo.go.kr/en/engBultnDetail.do?c=1003&board_id=kiponews&catmenu=ek06_01_01&seq=1831

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) has begun participating in the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (Global PPH) Pilot Program, with effect from 6 January 2026. 

The Global PPH is a multi-office initiative that promotes cooperation in patent examination and enables applicants to request accelerated examination across participating offices, building on earlier examination work already carried out elsewhere. The Global PPH extends existing PPH and PCT-PPH arrangements to any two offices within the Global PPH network, including ARIPO. The Japan Patent Office (JPO) currently serves as the Secretariat of the Global…

Source URL:- https://www.aripo.org/public/news/ARIPO+Joins+the+Global+Patent+Prosecution+Highway+Pilot+Program-1773733038

The Japan Patent Office (JPO), the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), and the Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) of the Republic of Korea are working on a cooperative project to compile a concordance list that indicates the corresponding relationships among the respective similar group codes used for trademark examination at the JPO, the CNIPA, and the MOIP, based on a trilateral agreement signed by the three offices…

Source URL:- https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/system/trademark/gaiyo/bunrui/kokusai/jpo_cnipa_moip-ruiji2026.html

On 1 March 2026, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) officially published the 2026 Edition of the Banjul Protocol on Marks, which includes updated implementing regulations, prescribed forms, and official fees. These amendments were adopted by the ARIPO Administrative Council and are now in force for all trademark applications, pending matters, and registrations filed under the ARIPO system. The official notice and full document are available on the ARIPO website…

Source URL:- https://intellectual-property-helpdesk.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/aripo-launches-2026-edition-banjul-protocol-trademarks-2026-03-01_en

Albania today (March 13, 2026) became the first member state to join WIPO’s Riyadh Design Law Treaty (RDLT), depositing its instrument of ratification with Director General Daren Tang and marking a major milestone in bringing into force the new international framework for design protection.

 WIPO member states adopted the RDLT by consensus on November 22, 2024, in Riyadh at the conclusion of a diplomatic conference hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Riyadh Design Law Treaty will streamline and harmonize administrative procedures related to the protection of designs, which determine the look and feel of products ranging from fashion to furniture to packaging…

Source URL:- https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2026/article_0004.html