Patent Law & practice at a Glance – November 2025

UKIPO update

One IPO: Changes to SPCs and PCT filing procedure

The UKIPO has published a blog setting out how supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) will be handled under the new One IPO system. The blog confirms that it will be possible to apply for SPCs through the new system, though it warns that the new system’s functionality will initially be “more limited than for patents” because of the comparatively small number of SPC applications that the UKIPO receives.

A blog discussing how applicants and representatives based in the UK will file PCT applications under the new system has also been published. This blog confirms that the One IPO system will not facilitate the filing of PCT applications, so PCT applications being filed with the UKIPO as Receiving Office will need to be filed using WIPO’s ePCT service (or on paper).

Fee increases

The UKIPO is increasing its fees for patents, designs and trade marks from April 2026 by an average of 25%. Details of the changes can be found here.

Designs consultation

The UKIPO has reminded users that the government’s consultation on changes to the UK’s designs framework will close on 27 November. As a reminder, the government is reviewing the existing designs framework with the aim of reducing its complexity and making it easier for businesses to navigate. Details of the aims of the consultation and how contributions can be made are available here.

IP Workshops for businesses

The UKIPO is now offering businesses one-day IP workshops, which cover the topics of protecting IP, recognising other people’s IP, and trade secrets and confidentiality.

Deposit accounts

The UKIPO has written to holders of deposit accounts advising them that accounts will now need to be topped up by bank transfer (and not by credit card or debit card).

UK-China IP

The UKIPO publishes a newsletter targeted at UK stakeholders and including updates on recent development in Chinese IP. The latest edition of this newsletter can be found here.

Monthly filing statistics: Patents, trade marks and designs

The latest month’s statistics are now available here. Statistics for previous months can be found here.

Customer service standards

The latest update on how the UKIPO are doing relative to the targets they have set themselves can be found here.

EPO update

Adoption of gender neutral language in the Unitary Patent secondary legislation

By decision of 9 October 2025, the Select Committee of the Administrative Council adopted a set of amendments introducing gender-neutral language in the Rules relating to Unitary Patent Protection (UPR). The amendments come into force on 1 December 2025. No amendments to the Rules relating to Fees for Unitary Patent Protection (RFeesUPP) are required.

More details available here and here.

PCT update

Colour and greyscale drawings

As of 1 October 2025, the European Patent Office accepts filings of colour or grayscale drawings without conversion to back and white if they are submitted via any of the EPO’s electronic tools. However, this feature does not apply to PCT applications received at the EPO as a receiving Office or other documents filed in the international phase. 

For PCT applications filed electronically on or after 1 October 2025, the EPO as receiving Office informally accepts and processes colour and greyscale drawings and transmits them to the International Bureau (IB), which make them available on PATENTSCOPE. However, for the official processing of international applications in the international phase including international publication, the IB convers colour and greyscale drawings to black and white. As a consequence, details in colour and greyscale drawings may be lost.

For Euro-PCT applications entering the European phase on or after 1 October 2025, the EPO as designated/elected Office accepts and processes colour and grayscale drawings, on the condition that they are available on PATENTSCOPE and the international publication mentions this fact. If amended drawings filed electronically on or after 1 October 2025 contain colour or grayscale, their content may not extend beyond the drawings as originally filed (EPC Article 123(2)).

EPO as ISA: Extension of CNIPA/EPO pilot

It is recalled, that on 1 December 2020, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and the European Patent Office (EPO) began a pilot to allow PCT applicants who are nationals or residents of China to select the EPO, in addition to the CNIPA, as competent International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) for international applications filed in English with the CNIPA or the International Bureau (IB), as receiving Office. Pursuant to the agreement between the CNIPA and the EPO, the pilot project will now be extended for another five years, from 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2031, for a maximum of 3,000 international applications per year. Please see here for further details (page 2).

Electronic filing and processing of international applications

EPO

With effect from 1 January 2026, the European Patent Office (EPO) has notified the International Bureau (IB) that it will discontinue EPO Online Filing (eOLF) and will no longer accept international applications and other documents and correspondence relating to international applications filed with the EPO using eOLF. From 1 January 2026, the Office will accept international applications and other documents and correspondence relating to international applications in electronic form using ePCT-Filing, EPO Online Filing 2.0 (with integrated ePCT-Filing) and the EPO Contingency Upload Service.

UKIPO

As from 1 January 2026, the Office will no longer accept the filing of international applications and other documents and correspondence relating to international applications in electronic form using eOLF. From 1 January 2026, the Office will only accept international applications and other documents and correspondence relating to international applications in electronic form filed using ePCT-Filing.

Practical Advice: Requesting the International Bureau to record a change of name or person under PCT Rule 92bis

The following question is answered: Our company is named applicant on a PCT application. The company has recently acquired another company and now acts under a new name. I would like to request the International Bureau (IB) to record that change. I am using ePCT which requires me to select between ‘change of name’ and ‘change of person’.  What should I select and furnish?

The answer is set out here (pages 9 and 10).

Other useful links

The PCT seminar, webinar and event calendar can be found here (pages 11 and 12).

The PCT fee tables (as of 1 October 2025) can be found here (pages 13 to 20).

A list of PCT Contracting States and Two-Letter Country Codes (as of 1 October 2025) can be found here (page 21).