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Register for the ECTA Autumn Meeting in Porto from 15-16 October 2026!

Register for the ECTA Autumn Meeting in Porto (Portugal) from 15-16 October 2026! Located on the Atlantic coast, Porto is a city known for its UNESCO-listed historic centre, the scenic Douro riverside, its azulejos, and the famous Port wine produced and aged across the region.The Autumn Meeting is reserved for Supervisory Board and Committee members only, and traditionally offers a more focused opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange within the ECTA community. Registration for the Autumn Meeting is available in the ECTA private site.This year’s Autumn Meeting workshop“Self-defence class: Protecting one's name, image and likeness” will address both prosecution aspects, including the registration of a name or appearance as a trade mark, and post-grant matters, in particular the use and enforcement of the rights.Evening events will be held at iconic city venues, with optional Saturday excursions to further enjoy Porto and its surroundings. We strongly encourage early registration to help us finalise and share the Committee schedule in good time. To find out more about the event log into the ECTA private site and check ECTA Committee meetings 2026.

2026 EUIPO Guidelines for EUTMs and EUDs Enter into Force Today

We wish to inform ECTA members that the 2026 edition of the Guidelines for Examination of EU trade marks (EUTMs) and registered EU designs (EUDs) enter into force today, on 1 July 2026, following adoption by the EUIPO Executive Director (Decision No EX-26-09) and after stakeholder consultation to which ECTA actively participated through its relevant Committees.The revised Guidelines include significant updates such as:implementation of the second (and final) stage of the EU design reform, including representation requirements for animated and dynamic EU designs;comprehensive review of Office’s practice in relation to geographical indications (GIs), particularly in light of the legislative reform related to GIs for craft and industrial products and General Court’s judgment T‑239/23, NERO CHAMPAGNE / Champagne;changes to Office practice related to deadline extensions and suspensions in opposition proceedings.For a broader summary of changes, please refer to the official EUIPO news here.

SAVE THE DATE - ECTA 45th Annual Conference "La Dolce IP" in Sorrento (16-19 June 2027)

The ECTA 45th Annual Conference "La Dolce IP" will take place in Sorrento, one of the most beautiful corners of Southern Italy, from 16-19 June 2027! 🍋🔔 Early-bird registration will open earlier than usual, in November, as Sorrento is a highly popular destination. Be sure to reserve your place early!Sponsorship opportunities are already available. Take a look at our sponsorship brochure and feel free to send an email to ecta@ecta.org if you are interested or have any questions.

Save the Date - All Upcoming ECTA Events

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.15-17 October 2026ECTA Autumn Meeting 📍 Porto, Portugal Open to ECTA Supervisory Board and Committee members only / Registration open soon in July.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 "La Dolce IP" 📍 Sorrento (South of Italy)Registration open in November.

EUIPO Revised Boards of Appeal Rules of Procedure Enter into Force on 1 July 2026

We wish to inform ECTA members that, in line with the new BoA Action Plan 2026-2030 and following the biennial revision cycle, the revised EUIPO Boards of Appeal Rules of Procedure (BoA-RoP) will enter into force on 1 July 2026.The amendments include substantive updates to existing provisions and introduce new provisions for appeal proceedings concerning GIs for craft and industrial products, as well as procedural changes relating to extensions, suspensions, costs, and other aspects of appeal proceedings.To learn more about the amendments, please consult the official news here.To access the revised BoA-RoP, please click here. The revised Rules will be translated into all EUIPO working languages.ECTA actively participated in the public consultation on the revision of the BoA-RoP by submitting comments on the proposed amendments. ECTA also provided feedback on the outline of the BoA Action Plan 2026-2030 and continues to participate regularly in the BoA Focus User Group meetings.