Patent Law & Practice at a Glance – May 2026

UKIPO update

UKIPO publishes corporate plan for 2026-2027

The UKIPO has published its corporate plan for 2026-2027, where it sets out its plans to modernise its services and support businesses in accessing the IP system. Details of the corporate plan can be found here.

One-day IP workshops

A reminder that the UKIPO continues to run a programme of one-day IP workshops for businesses and innovators at venues across the UK. Details of upcoming workshops are available here.

UK-China IP

The UKIPO publishes a newsletter targeted at UK stakeholders, including updates on recent developments 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.

EPO update

The Republic of Moldova accedes to the European Patent Convention

On 25 March 2026, the Government of the Republic of Moldova (MD) deposited its instrument of accession to the European Patent Convention (EPC). The EPC will therefore enter into force for the Republic of Moldova on 1 June 2026.

This means that the EPO will comprise the following 40 member states as from 1 June 2026:

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, North Macedonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom.

More details available here.

Electronic notification using ePCT

As part of its continuing efforts to reduce paper consumption and to further leverage the benefits of digitalisation, the EPO has agreed with the International Bureau of WIPO (IB) that notification of communications in the international phase may be effected through the ePCT service. This change will take effect on 1 June 2026.

Details available here and here.

Amendments and deletion of Rules

Reflecting the shift towards electronic communications, Rules 2, 22, 114, 125, 129, 134, 152(11), and 157 EPC have been amended, while Rules 126, 127, and 128 have been deleted.

The amendment of Rules 2, 22, 114, 125, 129, 134, and 157 EPC and the deletion of Rules 126, 127, and 128 will take effect on 1 April 2027.

The amendment of Rule 152(11) EPC will take effect on 1 June 2026.

Full details available here.

PCT update

Warning: fraudulent emails impersonating WIPO and major IP Offices

WIPO is warning all IP holders, including PCT users, to watch out for a sophisticated email scam targeting patent and trade mark applicants worldwide. Certain unscrupulous persons are actively sending emails using fake addresses – including admin@wipo-office.com – to impersonate WIPO and other prominent intellectual property offices, including EPO and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

These emails typically demand payments for patent or trade mark-related services, falsely presenting themselves as official correspondence. Recipients may be led to believe that failure to pay could jeopardise the status of their intellectual property rights – a tactic designed to create urgency and pressure victims into transferring funds. WIPO does not demand payments through unsolicited emails or request sensitive financial information via unofficial channels, and neither do the EPO or EUIPO. Please see here for further details (pages 2 and 3), as well as an example of a fraudulent email.

PCT information update

Germany

The German Patent and Trademark Office has changed its requirements regarding who can act as agent before the Office, whether in its capacity as receiving Office or as designated (or elected) Office. The following persons may act as an agent:

• If an agent is required: any patent attorney, attorney-at-law, or firm of representatives established in Germany and authorised to represent the applicant in proceedings before the Office. Where a firm of representatives is appointed, the natural person acting on its behalf must be authorised to render legal services in Germany.
• Any patent attorney or attorney-at-law of a member state of the EU of a contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, or of Switzerland, authorised to practice in Germany, or to provide temporary services, and empowered to represent the applicant in proceedings before the Office (refer to the Act on the Activities of European Patent Attorneys in Germany [EuPAG] and the Act on the Activities of European Lawyers in Germany [EuRAG]); or
• Subject to certain additional requirements, a firm of representatives established in a member state of the EU, in a state that is a contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or in a member state of the World Trade Organization. The natural person acting on its behalf must be authorised to render legal services in Germany.
• If an agent is not required: as mentioned above, and any natural person.

In addition, the Office has changed its requirements for entry into the national phase: where the applicant expressly requests an earlier start of the national phase under PCT Article 23(2), the applicant may be asked to send a copy of the international application, unless the international application was filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office as receiving Office. If amendments of the claims were filed under PCT Article 19, the applicant may be asked to send a copy of those amendments.

United Kingdom

As of 1 April 2026, the fee for reinstatement of rights (PCT Rule 49.6(d)(i)) payable to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO)2 as designated (or elected) Office has changed. Several components of the national fee payable to the Office as designated (or elected) Office have also changed with effect from the same date. Please see here for further details (pages 7 and 8).

Sequence listing document types

Minor simplifications have been made to the range of document types related to sequence listings in ePCT and PATENTSCOPE. Please see here for further details (pages 10 to 12).