We wish to inform ECTA members that the EUIPO has published a new set of Boards of Appeal case-law research reports:Trade marksSigns describing the subject matter of goods and services (May 2026) Available in EN ES DE FR ITDefining the scope of the indications of goods and services in trade mark specifications (February 2026) Available in EN ES DE FR ITDesignsInvalidity of a design dictated by its technical function pursuant to Article 9(1) EUDR (March 2026) Available in EN ES DE FR ITImpact of the Design Legal Reform on appeal proceedings (phase II) (June 2026) Available in EN ES DE FR ITThese reports, in addition to their purpose within the Boards of identifying case-law trends and to develop a common understanding of relevant legal issues and support consistency, are also used by the EUIPO as a basis for discussion of Common Practices with IP Offices and User Associations, including ECTA, to harmonise practices and standards.

by Frank Bollmann ECTA IP-Valuation Task Force Member, Vossius & Partner, GermanyThe European Commission has recently proposed the European Innovation Act (EIA) to help promote the development, financing, and expansion of innovative ideas in Europe.The purpose is to overcome two perceived challenges to innovation in Europe. On the one hand, the EU mentions issues with access to financing for innovation and on the other hand, a simplification of R&D procurement.Especially the first topic is very interesting for the newly founded ECTA IP-Valuation Task Force, so let’s take a closer look.The EU plans to:create a competence center on IP-backed finance as part of the EUIPO (see also the EUIPO initiative here),develop a voluntary Union-wide framework for IP-valuation and IP-disclosure andcreate a Union-wide marketplace for IP.In order to facilitate IP-backed financing, a database of transactions shall be established to collect (on a voluntary basis) data on IP-transactions where IP is used to back financing (see Article 33 of the proposal).Furthermore, to provide more consistency in IP-valuations, a new certification is proposed on a voluntary basis for IP-valuators to show that the valuator has acquired the necessary skill and competence to carry out IP-valuations for IP-backed financing (see Article 35 of the proposal).As this is currently a very dynamic area of research and regulation, ECTA and the ECTA IP-Valuation Task Force will stay on top of the issues and will provide further relevant details to ECTA members as those become available.For further details, you can find the official press release here and the entire proposal here.-----The views expressed are those of our members and not necessarily of ECTA as an association. The content has not been subjected to a verification process, the accuracy of the information contained in the article is responsibility of the author.

Last week, ECTA met in Brussels with the European Commission (DG GROW and DG TRADE) to exchange views and discuss updates on a range of important topics.Discussions included developments in the area of IP valuation and IP-backed financing, as well as updates on the EU Design Reform and the implementation of the EU Trade Marks Directive. Other topics included IP enforcement and the practical roll-out of the new CIGIs system.On the trade side, the exchange focused on ongoing negotiations and dialogues with third countries, particularly China, Mercosur and Türkiye, as well as initial exchanges on ECTA’s recent contribution to the Third Country Report. The meetings also touched on other topics of interest to our members in connection with projects across various ECTA Committees.The ECTA delegation included Paola Ruggiero (President), Benjamin Fontaine (1st Vice President), Micaela Schork (2nd Vice President), Carina Gommers (Secretary General), Krystyna Zurawska (Treasurer), Alessia Tozzi (Legal and Communications Coordinator), Hande Hancar (Chair of the International Trade Committee).We are grateful to the Commission representatives for the open and constructive dialogue, as such meetings help ensure that the perspectives and practical experiences of IP professionals are reflected in ongoing policy developments.In addition, last week, the ECTA Board of Directors and Secretariat also met in Brussels to fine-tune details for the upcoming ECTA Autumn Meeting in Porto, continue preparations for the ECTA 45th Annual Conference in Sorrento, and discuss other strategic priorities for the months ahead.

We wish to inform ECTA members that the EUIPO has issued Decision No EX-26-16, extending time limits for parties having their residence or registered office in Ukraine.All time limits expiring between 20 September 2026 and 21 March 2027 (inclusive) are extended until 22 March 2027.