News - February 2026
- Grenada Joins WIPO’s Madrid System
- EPO and IP Australia to launch PCT pilot programme starting 1 March 2026
- International search options expand for Australian patent applicants
- New Edition of the Nice Classification Enters into Force in 2026
- PPH pilot program between the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the Department of Intellectual Property in Thailand (DIP)
- Broader Data, Stronger Rights: New PCT Rules Strengthen International Patent Searches
- Use of AI to support minute-taking in examination and opposition oral proceedings set to expand
- Changes regarding the Global Patent Prosecution Highway – GPPH
1 Grenada Joins WIPO’s Madrid System
Grenada has joined the Madrid System. WIPO’s international trademark system now covers 132 countries.
On December 15, 2025, the Government of Grenada deposited its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol – the governing Treaty of the Madrid System – with WIPO Director General, Daren Tang.
Grenada is the 116th member of the Madrid System, and the 10th country from Latin America and the Caribbean to join. Its accession further strengthens the Madrid System’s role as a practical and efficient solution for protecting trademarks worldwide
The Madrid Protocol will enter into force in Grenada on 15/03/2026…
Source URL:- https://www.wipo.int/en/web/madrid-system/w/news/2026/grenada-joins-wipo-madrid-system
2 EPO and IP Australia to launch PCT pilot programme starting 1 March 2026
The President of the European Patent Office (EPO), António Campinos, and the Director General of IP Australia, Michael Schwager, today announced that under a two-year pilot programme starting on 1 March 2026, Australian applicants will be able to designate the EPO as their International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
The programme will be 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…
3 International search options expand for Australian patent applicants
From 1 March 2026, patent applicants filing in Australia will be able to nominate the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) as their International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA).
This arrangement offers more choice for Australian applicants, particularly for those requiring searches of Chinese prior art. It also allows them to use the expertise of examiners based in key target markets…
4 New Edition of the Nice Classification Enters into Force in 2026
As of 1 January 2026, a new edition of the Nice Classification has entered into force: the 13th Edition (Nice 13 – Version 2026). All trademark applications filed from this date onward will be examined and classified in accordance with this new edition.
Compared to the previous version, Nice 13 (2026) introduces several important changes, including the addition of new terms and the reclassification of certain goods and services. These updates aim to improve clarity and ensure that classifications better reflect current market and technological…
5 PPH pilot program between the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the Department of Intellectual Property in Thailand (DIP)
(DIP) have been implementing the PPH pilot program since January 1, 2014. The JPO and the DIP have agreed to extend the program for additional two years from January 1, 2026.
Additionally, starting from the same date, the JPO and the DIP have started a new initiative to expedite the examination processes of PPH requested applications at the DIP, which is the Office of Later Examination (OLE), by prThe Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the Department of Intellectual Property in Thailand oviding…
Source URL:- https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/system/patent/shinsa/soki/pph/japan_thailand_highway.html
6 Broader Data, Stronger Rights: New PCT Rules Strengthen International Patent Searches
New Rules under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) entered into force on January 1, marking a significant step forward in the quality and scope of international patent searches.
Amendments to PCT Rules 34, 36 and 63 expand the minimum documentation available to PCT International Searching Authorities, bringing in 19 additional national patent collections. Further collections are expected to follow, steadily broadening the global patent data underpinning PCT searches…
7 Use of AI to support minute-taking in examination and opposition oral proceedings set to expand
Approximately 150 oral proceedings since May 2025 were part of a successful pilot in which minutes were drafted with the support of artificial intelligence (AI). Building on positive feedback from users and participating divisions, this AI-assisted approach will be expanded during 2026 to all oral proceedings in examination and opposition, as well as those taking place before the Receiving Section and the Legal Division.
How AI supports the work of divisions
Audio is recorded in the video conferencing software and the transcript generated using an AI tool. Shortly after proceedings, the transcript is processed by the second member of the division with the help of another AI tool…
Source URL:- https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/news/use-ai-support-minute-taking-examination-and-opposition-oral-proceedings-set
8 Changes regarding the Global Patent Prosecution Highway – GPPH
On January 6th changes came into effect regarding the Global Patent Prosecution Highway – GPPH.
The cooperation between patent offices under this framework has expanded as the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) joined the group of participating offices…