Monday IPDate January 26, 2026

EPO and IP Australia to launch PCT pilot programme starting 1 March 2026

The President of the European Patent Office (EPO), António Campinos, and the Director General of IP Australia, Michael Schwager, announced that under a two-year pilot programme starting on 1 March 2026, Australian applicants will be able to designate the EPO as their International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

> EPO and IP Australia to launch PCT pilot programme starting 1 March 2026

Thailand Becomes First ASEAN State to Launch Upgraded WIPO IP Course

Thailand is the first member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to launch the WIPO Academy General Course on Intellectual Property (DL101-TH) in a national language. The Thai-language version of the course was launched by the WIPO Academy in cooperation with Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property (DIP).

> Thailand Becomes First ASEAN State to Launch Upgraded WIPO IP Course