News - June 2026
- Council Adopts Regulation on New Genomic Techniques
- Update to patent excess claims reminder process
- Joint Statement between IPOS and JPO
- Office Notice - WIPO Digital Access Service (DAS)
- The Bahamas Joins the PCT
- WIPO Training Strengthens Biotech & Pharma Capacity in Bangladesh
- European Patent Office enables use of ePCT for electronic notifications
- Libya Relaunches Electronic Trademark Gazette
- USPTO Open Data Portal to require registration for?access beginning June 18, 2026
- Mexico Updates Industrial Property Law to Modernise Patent System
1 Council Adopts Regulation on New Genomic Techniques
The Council of the European Union has adopted a regulation on new genomic techniques (NGTs), following years of discussions on sustainability and patenting. The text will now proceed to the European Parliament for a plenary vote scheduled between 18 and 21 May, where some Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are expected to challenge the outcome of the negotiations.
The regulation sets out a revised framework for NGTs, which are used to design or enhance traits in plant species, such as improving nutritional profiles or increasing resistance to disease and climatic conditions. It follows earlier efforts to adjust the EU approach after a 2018 ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU classified gene editing under existing rules for genetically modified organisms…
2 Update to patent excess claims reminder process
At IP Australia, we are changing our excess claims reminder notification from a forecast 6?month reminder (based on the anticipated commencement of examination) to a defined 3?month reminder period after an examination request is received, giving customers a clear window to file amendments before examination begins.
What’s changing
For standard patent applications, we will update our reminder notification process. Instead of issuing an approximate 6?month reminder, we will issue…
Source URL:- https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/news-and-community/news/update-to-patent-excess-claims-reminder-process
3 Joint Statement between IPOS and JPO
12 May 2026, Singapore. The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) announced a new cooperation initiative to strengthen collaboration on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in patent substantive examination, amid rapid advances in technology and growing global interest in AI-enabled IP systems.
The announcement was made after a bilateral meeting in Singapore between Mr Tan Kong Hwee, Chief Executive of IPOS and Mr Yasuyuki Kasai, Commissioner of JPO, building on an earlier Memorandum of Cooperation signed in Tokyo last November…
4 Office Notice - WIPO Digital Access Service (DAS)
The Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI) has become a WIPO Digital Access Service (DAS) Depositing Office with effect from 11th May 2026.
From this date, applicants may request the IPOI to make their application available through the WIPO DAS portal, which is an electronic system allowing priority documents and similar documents to be securely exchanged between participating intellectual property offices. This system enables applicants and offices to meet the legal certification requirements of intellectual property documentation in an electronic environment…
Source URL:- https://www.ipoi.gov.ie/en/news-events/news-categories/announcements/office-notice-wipo-digital-access-service-das/
5 The Bahamas Joins the PCT
The Bahamas has joined the PCT, WIPO’s international patent system. The country will become the 159th member of the PCT Union.
On May 19, 2026, The Bahamas deposited its instrument of accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty with WIPO.
The Bahamas is the 21st member of the Association of Caribbean States to join the PCT, a move that strengthens the economic integration and competitiveness of the region.
What does this mean for you?
Starting August 19, 2026
Applicants and inventors in The Bahamas can file a single…
Source URL:- https://www.wipo.int/en/web/pct-system/w/news/2026/the-bahamas-joins-the-pct
6 WIPO Training Strengthens Biotech & Pharma Capacity in Bangladesh
As part of its ongoing efforts to support innovation ecosystems, WIPO delivered targeted national training programs in Dhaka, in collaboration with Bangladesh’s Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT), supported by FIT/Japan IP Global, to strengthen capacity in biotechnology and pharmaceutical inventions.
Held from April 12 to 16, the two training programs were designed for two distinct groups of audiences, and brought together patent examiners, policymakers, researchers and IP professionals, reflecting growing interest in the role of IP systems in supporting innovation in emerging sectors…
Source URL:- https://www.wipo.int/en/web/fit-japan/w/news/2026/wipo-training-strengthens-biotech-pharma-capacity-in-bangladesh
7 European Patent Office enables use of ePCT for electronic notifications
From 1 June 2026, all users of the European Patent Office (EPO) will be able to use WIPO’s ePCT online service to receive electronic notifications of PCT communications issued by the EPO.
The new feature is the result of close cooperation between the EPO and WIPO and will allow PCT users to choose a faster, more secure digital alternative to paper-based notifications. It will apply to communications issued by the EPO in its capacity as receiving Office (after transmittal of the record copy to the International Bureau (IB)), International Searching Authority or International Preliminary Examining Authority.
To use the new service, EPO users must have a WIPO account and must indicate their consent to receiving electronic notifications for each…
Source URL:- https://www.wipo.int/documents/d/pct-system/newsletters-en-2026-pct-news-2026-5.pdf
8 Libya Relaunches Electronic Trademark Gazette
TRIPOLI - The Ministry of Economy and Trade has announced the relaunch of the electronic trademark registration gazette with the publication of the first issue for the year 2026. This comes after an 18-month suspension of the publication, restoring an important tool for transparency and intellectual property regulations. The issue includes trademark registration applications numbered 55261 to 57597, all of which have been submitted through the Commercial Registry…
Source URL:- https://www.agip.com/News/en/news/23573
9 USPTO Open Data Portal to require registration for?access beginning June 18, 2026
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)?will require?registration for access to the?Open Data Portal (ODP)?starting on?June 18, 2026. The registration requirement is part of the Office’s agencywide initiative to further enhance protections of publicly available?federal data.
Available to the public since February 2025, ODP is USPTO’s unified?data platform, home to a wide range of products including publicly accessible patent and?trademark datasets.?Starting on June 18, 2026, users will?need to have?a?USPTO.gov?account?to register and access the ODP site…
Source URL:- https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/uspto-open-data-portal-require-registration-access-beginning-june-18-2026
10 Mexico Updates Industrial Property Law to Modernise Patent System
Mexico has introduced significant reforms to its Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property (LFPPI), with a new decree published on 3 April 2026. The changes aim to modernise the country’s system for protecting inventions and bring it more closely in line with international standards.
Among the key updates, the reform allows challenges to patents or registrations that may have been granted improperly, while reinforcing the right of inventors to be recognised in applications and granted rights. It also introduces…