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.
US–Latin America trademark strategy: Madrid or national, country by country
Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Chile via Madrid; Argentina, Peru, Uruguay and Central America via national filings. A country-by-country map for US–Latin America trademark plans.
Trademark counterfeiting enforcement: customs, platforms and criminal action
How customs, online platforms and criminal courts act against counterfeits in Europe, Latin America and Africa, and why every tool starts with a local registration.
Trademark squatting and bad-faith filings: a playbook for EU, LatAm and China
How to prevent and fight trademark squatting across the EU, Latin America and China: bad-faith remedies, deadlines, agent rules and China's 2027 reform.
Madrid Protocol individual fees: four changes notified in September 2026
WIPO notified four individual fee changes in September 2026: Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Israel and Canada. New CHF amounts, start dates and a three-class budget.
EU trademark registration for Latin American companies: step by step
How Latin American companies register an EU trade mark: mandatory EEA representation, official fees, opposition deadlines, 2026 proof of use rules and the Madrid alternative.
Upcycling and trademark infringement: Paris rulings on Chanel and Hermès
Paris courts have rejected exhaustion for upcycled Chanel and Hermès items. What the rulings mean for resale, jewellery and fashion brands reusing branded parts.
Iberian trademark strategy: OEPM, Portugal’s INPI or an EU trade mark?
OEPM and INPI national marks or an EU trade mark? A practical comparison of fees, opposition periods, risks and licensing for companies entering Spain and Portugal.
IKEA v Vlaams Belang (C-298/23): free speech and reputed trade marks
In C-298/23 the CJEU held that a political party must show its freedom of expression outweighs the owner's rights before using a reputed mark such as…
Supermac’s vs McDonald’s: why the EUIPO and UKIPO reached opposite results
The EUIPO refused SUPERMAC'S over BIG MAC in June 2026; the UKIPO dismissed McDonald's opposition in July. Why the results differ and what it means for…
Brazil INPI priority examination: second 2026 window opens 1 September
Brazil's INPI opens its second 2026 trademark priority window on 1 September: 1,500 places, 10 per applicant, 13 modalities and a BRL 890 fee.
OAPI or ARIPO? Regional trademark filing in Africa after Banjul 2026
OAPI grants one title for 17 states; ARIPO's Banjul Protocol works by designation, with a six-month national review and new USD fees since 1 March 2026.
Mexico after the 2026 IP reform: new mark types and IMPI timelines
Mexico's 3 April 2026 reform adds position, motion and multimedia marks, sets maximum IMPI timelines and bars signs linked to indigenous cultural heritage.
