Blog
Analysis and commentary on intellectual property developments relevant to cross-border business across Europe, Latin America and Africa. We publish on the matters that affect how intangible assets are protected, exploited and defended — from EUIPO and WIPO practice to the implementation of the EU AI Act and the evolution of intellectual property regimes across Latin American and African jurisdictions.
El Salvador joins the Hague System: design protection from 7 October 2026
El Salvador joins the Hague System on 7 October 2026. Only seven Latin American and Caribbean countries are members: where Hague works and where you still…
How to file a customs application for action in the EU
How to file a free customs application for action in the EU through the IP Enforcement Portal: who can file, what data to give, deadlines after…
Global patent portfolio management: deadlines, annuities and local agents
How to run PCT, European, unitary and national patent deadlines and annuities from one calendar across Europe, Latin America and Africa without losing rights.
South Africa Copyright Amendment Bill: court upholds fair use, strikes 12D
South Africa's Constitutional Court upheld fair use and the software exception but struck down the broad educational exceptions. The Bill returns to Parliament.
PCT statistics 2026: 275,900 applications and Latin America’s thin share
WIPO's PCT Yearly Review 2026: 275,900 applications in 2025, with Africa, Latin America and Oceania at 1.4%. Why that gap is an opportunity for Latin American…
Copyright protection explained: what it covers, when it arises, who owns it
What copyright protects, when it arises without registration, how long it lasts in Spain, the EU, Mexico, Brazil and Nigeria, and who owns works made by…
European patent validation in Angola: what the EPO agreement means
Angola signed a validation agreement with the EPO on 23 June 2026 and Moldova joined the EPC. What it means for filings in Lusophone Africa and…
Global IP portfolio legal services: what a centralised service should cover
What a centralised, cross-border IP portfolio service should cover: one docket, Madrid designations, ownership recordals and local counsel across Europe, Latin America and Africa.
How to file an international industrial design application: Hague guide
How to file a Hague international design application: who can file, step-by-step process, WIPO fees and when it beats filing country by country across the corridor.
Global trademark protection: EU trade mark, Madrid or national filings?
EU trade mark, Madrid System or national filings? How to combine the three routes when a brand enters the EU, Latin America and Africa, and where…
Nigeria’s collecting societies under scrutiny: music licensing in Africa
Nigeria's House of Representatives is probing copyright administration. What it means for music licensing, the MCSN-COSON dispute and the frozen private copying levy.
