There's never a dull moment in the world if IP, and the IPKat is here to share the latest IP events, news and opportunities below. And don't forget to stay tuned into the IPKat Events page to keep up to date with what's happening in 2026.
Events
An Introduction to SPCs and Paediatric Extensions
On 22 February 2026, CIPA is hosting a webinar on supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) and paediatric extensions. Speakers Steward Eccles of Hepworth Browne and Rosie Brown of GSK will focus on the basics of SPCs, the interplay and overlap between European and UK legislature with respect to SPCs, and the place of paediatric extensions within the SPC and patent extension framework. Register here.
 |
| Curious Kat |
On 17 March 2026, the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Law (CIPIL) at the University of Cambridge will be hosting its annual International Intellectual Property Lecture at Emmanuel College. This year's lecture, titled 'Thirty Plus One: TRIPS, Innovation, and the Political Future of Minimum IP Standards', will be presented by Professor Ruth Okediji from Harvard University. This event is by invitation only - express your interest here.
CIPIL Spring Conference
On 21 March 2026, CIPIL is also hosting its Spring Conference 2026 on 'Abuse of Intellectual Property Rights' at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law. Chaired by Lord Justice Richard Arnold, the conference willexplore the questions of when are IP rights to be regarded as “abused”; what mechanisms exist to respond to such abuses; and does the legal system have sufficient mechanisms by which to “respond effectively”? Find out more and register here.
PTMG Spring Meeting
The Pharmaceutical Trade Marks Group (PTMG) is holding its Spring Meeting in Munich on 23-24 March 2026. Speakers at the one-and-a-half day Spring Meeting will include Mr Young-Woo Yun from WIPO, as well as speakers from private practice and industry. Find out more here.
News
EPO and UKIPO Fee Increases from 1 April 2026
A reminder to readers that both EPO and UKIPO fees will increase from 1 April 2026. While EPO fee increases will average about 5% across the majority of official fees, UKIPO fee increases will average about 25% (which the UKIPO considers reflective of a 32% rise in inflation since 2016).
Opportunities
INTA Pro Bono Trademark Clinic
On 5 March 2026, the International Trademark Association (INTA) is celebrating International Women’s Day by hosting a virtual legal clinic focused on entreprenuHERship. This online program is a single-day event, designed like a walk-in legal clinic where female entrepreneurs, and small to medium enterprises and non-profits led by women, from anywhere in the world, can consult with volunteer trademark attorneys on a pro bono basis. Non-profits or SMEs in need of pro bono trademark assistance can RSVP for the Clinic here.
Reviewed by Dr Claire Gregg
on
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Rating:
Follow the IPKat on LinkedIn 
No comments:
All comments must be moderated by a member of the IPKat team before they appear on the blog. Comments will not be allowed if the contravene the IPKat policy that readers' comments should not be obscene or defamatory; they should not consist of ad hominem attacks on members of the blog team or other comment-posters and they should make a constructive contribution to the discussion of the post on which they purport to comment.
It is also the IPKat policy that comments should not be made completely anonymously, and users should use a consistent name or pseudonym (which should not itself be defamatory or obscene, or that of another real person), either in the "identity" field, or at the beginning of the comment. Current practice is to, however, allow a limited number of comments that contravene this policy, provided that the comment has a high degree of relevance and the comment chain does not become too difficult to follow.
Learn more here: http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/p/want-to-complain.html