European Patent: Moldova Joins The European Patent Convention (EPC)
As of 1 June 2026, the Republic of Moldova is set to become the 40th contracting state of the European Patent Organisation. This accession follows a long-standing cooperation with the EPO, particularly through the validation agreement in force since 2015, and marks an important step in strengthening European collaboration in the field of patents.
Ex Parte Appeal Statistics
On April 8, 2026 the USPTO published Ex parte appeal statistics from September 30, 2012, through March 31, 2026. Over this time period, total inventory of pending appeals has dropped from 26,570 to 1,866. Critically, for Appellants, this means the pendency of appeals has dropped from an average of over 28 months for the quarter ending in March 2025 to under 8 months for the quarter ending in March 2026.
Mizkan Recognized With The FY2026 "IP Achievement Award"
We offer our congratulations to Mizkan Holdings Co., Ltd. on being honored with the FY2026 "Intellectual Property Achievement Award (Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office Award)," which they received on April 10, 2026, from the Japan Patent Office of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
2026 AIPLA Women in IP Global Networking Event
We are pleased to announce that OBWB's Hangzhou Representative office will host the 2026 AIPLA Women in IP Global Networking Event. We look forward to a special gathering that will bring together accomplished professionals to connect, share insights, and celebrate the innovation and leadership shaping the future of IP.
European Patent Filings Hit Record High, Surpassing 200,000 in 2025
The European Patent Office (EPO) has published its 2025 statistics on European patent applications (including direct and Euro-PCT filings). Applications rose by 1.4% year over year, reaching nearly 202,000.
Bahrain Eases Document Submission Deadlines for Industrial Property Applications
The Bahraini Ministry of Industry and Commerce has implemented temporary measures to address ongoing difficulties in completing notarization and legalization procedures, as well as delays in submitting required documents within statutory deadlines.
John Osha Attends IP5 Meeting in Seoul
The IP5 Meetings were held in Seoul, Korea, from March 30 to April 2. John Osha participated in a series of substantive discussions alongside members of AIPLA, IPO, BE, KINPA, and JIPA. Our thanks to the organizers for planning and coordinating this well-structured event.
ASAP!: USPTO seeks participants for six-month old AI Search Pilot
With less than one month remaining in the original Artificial Intelligence Search Automated Pilot (ASAP!) that began on October 20, 2025, the USPTO announced key modifications with respect to timing and fees.
USPTO Adds U.S. Manufacturing and Investment as Discretionary Factors in IPR and PGR Institution Decisions
On March 11, 2026, USPTO Director John A. Squires issued a Memorandum (available here) identifying additional discretionary institution factors for inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant review (PGR) proceedings. The Memorandum signals that the USPTO will place greater weight on domestic economic and industrial policy concerns when deciding whether to institute review.
Are Your AI Prompts Discoverable? Recent Cases Every Company and Law Firm Should Know
Are your ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini prompts and responses safe from discovery? Recent decisions shed light on the issue to reveal when your AI chat history can be targeted in discovery and when it remains off-limits. How current rules are being applied to frontier generative AI and what every company, in-house counsel, and law firm must do to avoid an AI discovery disaster.
