Friday Fantasies

Here's a rundown of all the fascinating events and opportunities this Kat has come across this week!

New GuestKat

The IPKat is delighted to welcome Claire Gregg as a new GuestKat for the next six months:

Claire Gregg

Claire is a Trans-Tasman patent attorney and principal at Davies Collison Cave in Australia, where she specialises in chemistry and pharmaceutical patents. Claire is the Vice-President of the Institute of Patent & Trademark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA), a member of FICPI's study and work committee on biotechnology and pharmaceuticals (CET), and a Director of the Global IP Alliance.  When she isn't writing about patent law, Claire loves spending time with her three cats, working on DIY projects around the house, reading and writing dystopian fiction, and travelling. More on Claire here.

Events

WIPO Online Mediation and Arbitration Workshop (18-20 November 2025)

From 18-20 November 2025, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre is hosting an online workshop on the topic of ‘intellectual property and technology disputes’. There will be a focus on the WIPO Mediation, Arbitration and Expediated Arbitration Rules as well as guidance on drafting dispute resolution clauses. More information here.

EPO Case Law Conference (20-21 November 2025)

The EPO will hold its annual case law conference (previously known as the Boards of Appeal and Key Decisions conference) on 20-21 November 2025. To sign up head here.

Online event - Open Minds: Understanding Copyright in Museums (10 December 2025)

On 10 December 2025 the Museum Association is hosting an online event focused on recent cases and the impact of technology, namely AI, on copyright and licensing in museums. The event will comprise a mix of panel discussion, case studies and audience participation. Take a look here.

Vacancies and opportunities

The Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) is inviting expressions of interest for the Post of Member of the Board of Appeal. The appointments are made for a period of five years renewable, starting on 23 February 2026. The full details and criteria have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union here: here. The deadline for sending an application to appealproceedings@cpvo.europa.eu is 20 October 2025.

Amsterdam Law School and IViR (Institute for Information Law) at the University of Amsterdam are seeking a PhD Candidate as part of their AlgoSoc project. The candidate will focus on generative AI in the Media with a focus on AI-generated illegal and harmful content. Applications are due by 31 October 2025 and more information can be found here.

The time has come for the 2nd edition of the WIPO Moot Competition! This year the problem focuses on industrial property law and will address patents, trade marks, industrial designs and trade secrets. Registrations are due by 30 November 2025. Here you can find more information and start putting together your dream team of law student Kats.

The Feminist Intellectual Property Studies (FIPS) Reading Group will host a series reading group sessions throughout 2026, before a ‘Women and Intellectual Property’ event on 8-9 June 2026. Moderated by Dr Metka Potočnik and Professor Jessica C. Lai, the sessions and event aims to discuss scholarship, policy and practice of women in IP practice. There will be a focus on inclusivity within creative industries and systems of innovation. More information can be found here.

Pawtocol update

The EPO now accepts coloured figures for all users, and separate PDF drawings  with DOCX filings in OLF 2.0 for pilot users as part of its ongoing digital transformation. You can find more guidance here.

The USPTO has launched a new AI Pilot for pre-examination utility application search. The aim is to help examiners and applicants ensure their patents are ‘born strong’ and will provide a ‘top ten list’ of potential prior art issues. To participate in the pilot, head - here.