This update is to help ECTA members and IP community at large stay informed about upcoming ECTA events and plan ahead. Registration links and further details will be shared via direct email communication in due course.If you are not a member and would like to receive updates on ECTA events and activities, please email ecta@ecta.org to be included on our mailing list.12 May 2026ECTA UPC Coffee by ECTA Patent Committee 📍  Online (every second Tuesday of the month) Open to members only / Link to join regularly sent via email and available on the ECTA private site17-20 June 2026ECTA 44th Annual Conference “Green Light for Growth” 📍  Dublin, IrelandOpen to all / Register here.15-17 October 2026ECTA Autumn Meeting 📍  Porto, Portugal Open to ECTA Supervisory Board and Committee members only / More information will follow.Spring 2027ECTA ®ETREAT📍 The Hague, The Netherlands In collaboration with Benelux Office for Intellectual PropertyMore information will follow.16-19 June 2025ECTA 45th Annual Conference  📍  Destination to be unveiled soon!

The EUIPO has released today a new report, “IP-backed finance in Europe”, which examines how IP can be better used as a financial asset to support innovation, growth and competitiveness in the EU.Although IP-intensive industries account for around 48% of EU GDP and 31% of employment, many companies - especially SMEs - still find it difficult to use their IP to secure funding. The report estimates an EU SME credit gap of up to €365 billion per year, with a significant share linked to IP-intensive firms.The main barriers are lack of data, information gaps, lack of harmonised legal frameworks, limited recognition of intangible assets, and the fact that IP valuation is often costly and complex with few experts available.The report sets out key priorities to support IP-backed finance, such as improving IP visibility, strengthening valuation methods, building a robust data foundation, enabling risk-sharing tools, and increasing coordination across stakeholders.To find out more, please access the executive summary and full report here.ECTA is mindful of the relevance of IP valuation and the increasing international attention it is receiving. In this context, it has recently established a dedicated IP Valuation Task Force with the aim of actively contributing to the debate, providing recommendations, and sharing knowledge among its members.

ECTA and its Design Committee are actively cooperating with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA) in raising awareness of the importance of design protection.Despite being one of the strongest drivers of differentiation and value creation for businesses, design protection is still too often perceived as complex, costly, or purely legal. Through our ongoing conversations with the EUIPO and BEDA, many avenues for collaboration have emerged, and several joint initiatives are coming up in the course of 2026.Among these initiatives, ECTA will participate in a joint webinar with the EUIPO and BEDA on 21 April 2026 “Design protection as a business strategy: turning creativity into competitive advantage” (Register Here!) which aims to present design protection as a strategic business tool that is both accessible and closely aligned with designers’ real needs. In particular, Rogier Goos, ECTA Design Committee Vice-Chair, will illustrate success stories and strategic mistakes through real-world examples from the design sector and explain how IP practitioners support designers, acting as a bridge between their creative vision and EUIPO procedures.ECTA will also collaborate with the EUIPO to support IP education for university students in design and related disciplines, including architecture, engineering and fine arts. This will include participation in educational initiatives and Virtual Open Days dedicated to designs. Marta Alves Vieira (ECTA Design Committee Secretary) and Sylvia Todorova (ECTA Design Committee member) will contribute practical insights based on their experience as design attorneys.Another aspect of this collaboration will involve improving existing training materials, also by including examples of well-protected designs from our practitioners’ experience. Also, the IP Essentials MOOC on the fundamentals of intellectual property rights will soon introduce the module on designs, with the support of ECTA experts.ECTA is grateful to the EUIPO for the opportunity to collaborate on these relevant initiatives through the expertise of the ECTA Design Committee.

ECTA Bulletin: Out Now - Explore the Latest Edition Here!In this edition:A preview of what to expect from the upcoming ECTA Annual Conference in Dublin - Register here!With Dublin being our next destination, enjoy an introduction of Ireland based on 10 most famous Irish brands;The continuation of our Art. 8(4) EUTMR series, this time focusing on Ireland, France, and Austria. By the end of the series, we aim to create a 'guide' offering lawyers an overview of the relevant national regulations;Further insights on the UPC, developments in the field of AI, copyright and freedom of expression, enforceability of ARIPO trade marks, milestones in the world of IP in Hungary since the 1970s, discussions on new judgments, and much more;A warm welcome to new ECTA members.Interested in advertising in the next ECTA Bulletin? Send an email to ecta@ecta.org to learn more and secure your spot.Thank you to the ECTA Publications Committee for another excellent edition - learn more about the team on page 3. A print-friendly version is available for members only in the ECTA Library (private site).