A significant procedural development is taking place in the field of industrial property protection in the Gulf region: the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have officially acceded to the Locarno Agreement, administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which establishes an international classification system for industrial designs.
On 19 August 2026, The Bahamas officially acceded to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), becoming the 159th Contracting State to the Treaty. As a result of its accession, international patent applications filed on or after 19 August 2026 will automatically include The Bahamas among the designated States.
The UAE Trade mark Office has opened Class 33 to trade mark applications covering alcoholic beverages, marking an important change for international beverage and hospitality brands.
On 14 September 2026, the IP Specialized Court of Rome issued judgment No. 12804, which we consider of particular interest for foreign trade mark owners and IP counsels managing international registrations designating Italy.
In an economy increasingly based on knowledge, a significant part of a company’s value is not necessarily embodied in a patent, a trade mark or another registered intellectual property right. Technologies, production processes, algorithms, formulas, …
