https://www.agip-news.com/The Only Specialized Global Intellectual Property News Agency.key_copyrightshttp://localhost/Ag-Ip-News_Website_V1/images/Admin_images/tagLogo_en.gifhttps://www.agip-news.com/12050https://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78765&lang=enhttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78765&lang=enThe Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)LOS ANGELES - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will close the window to apply for the 2026 Round Registry Service Provider (RSP) Evaluation Program at 23:59 UTC on August 12, 2026, according to the official website of ICANN.  RSPs offer critical services – such as Domain Name System (DNS), Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP), and DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), among others – on behalf of a registry operator. Some generic top-level domain (gTLD) registries provide their own back-end support, while others outsource these services to a third party. In either case, all new gTLD applicants must name an RSP that has been successfully evaluated by ICANN as part of their application. RSPs need only qualify once, regardless of how many gTLD applicants they choose to support. The program streamlines gTLD application processing by separating the evaluation of the technical aspects of running a gTLD from the evaluation of the label. A first evaluation period was open from November 19, 2024, to May 20, 2025. A second window to apply to be evaluated through the program has been open in parallel with the application period for the New gTLD Program.  Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:54:58 GMThttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78764&lang=enhttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78764&lang=enThe World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) GENEVA - Investment in intangible assets crossed the USD 10 trillion mark for the first time in 2025, with the United States alone accounting for nearly half of the total, as investments in software, data, brands and other intellectual property-backed assets rose even as spending on machinery and buildings lagged under tight financing conditions and economic uncertainty, according to the official website of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).  According to new figures from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Italy's Luiss Business School (LBS), intangible investment has grown 5.5 percent annually between 2020 and 2025, compared with 3.2 percent for tangible investment. It now accounts for nearly 13 percent of GDP across the economies covered, marking a durable structural shift in the composition of investment, the report shows. The third edition of the World Intangible Investment Highlights covers 29 high- and middle-income economies, together about 57 percent of world GDP, adding the first-ever estimates for Canada and the Philippines and updated figures for Brazil, India and Japan. “This record-breaking rise in intangible asset investment clearly shows that global economic value is shifting from physical assets to intangible assets. This cuts across both mature and emerging economies. This data shows that countries and businesses are increasingly turning to innovation, technology and creativity to drive growth. I hope that the report gives decision makers insights into these trends and help them put in place the right policies, practices and programs to support their innovators and creators”, WIPO Director General Daren Tang said. Companies and government entities in the United States of America (US) invested nearly USD 5 trillion in intangibles in 2025, by far the most of any economy that was studied. The gap between the US and the next four economies combined has roughly doubled over the past decade, from about USD 1 trillion in 2015 to USD 2 trillion in 2025. Newly revised data show Japanese firms and government entities investing USD 810 billion in intangibles in 2024, placing the country second globally, ahead of Germany at USD 695 billion. Japan's rise to second place marks a clear change in its investment mix: while its tangible investment is now stagnating, its intangible investment grew 4.8 percent in 2024, faster than in other major high-income economies such as the US, Germany and France. The report also sheds new light on intangible investment in emerging economies. For the first time, official data show intangible investment growing strongly beyond high-income countries. In India and the Philippines, intangible investment grew 5.3 and 3.9 percent annually over the past decade, respectively, exceeding the growth recorded in several high-income economies. Brazil ranks among the world’s largest intangible investors, with USD 312 billion invested in 2023. AI's Two Investment Waves The report highlights how artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating investment through two distinct waves. The first is a tangible, infrastructure-driven wave of data centers, semiconductors, power systems and networks required to run advanced AI models. This phase has been stronger than expected and is helping to revive tangible investment but remains geographically concentrated, particularly visible in the US. The second is a broader wave of intangible investment, as firms invest in data, software, R&D, brands, organizational capital and training. As with previous general-purpose technologies, the report notes that AI’s lasting economic impact will come less from the physical infrastructure wave than from the intangible assets built on top of it. The US occupies a central role in both AI-related investment waves, combining scale with growth across both tangible and intangible investment. At the same time, the AI boom coincides with continued strong growth in US intangible investment, including software, data and organizational capital, which grew by 4.4 percent in real terms between 2024 and 2025. While the precise contribution of AI to this increase cannot be isolated, Box 3 in the report discusses multiple channels through which AI may be influencing intangible investment dynamics. “AI is not just a new technology. It is changing how knowledge itself is produced, making intangible investment the key to understanding its economic impact. AI runs on intangibles like data, software and organizational know-how, and it reinforces them: it makes them cheaper to produce, widens the range of activities they can transform, and in doing so encourages firms to invest even more in them. Yet much of this investment, particularly organizational capital, brands and training, still goes unrecorded in official statistics. Without better measurement of these assets, we will keep underestimating what AI actually contributes to our economies and miss the policies needed to make the most of it”, Cecilia Jona-Lasinio, Professor, Luiss Business School, and co-author of the report said.   Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:52:06 GMThttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78763&lang=enhttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78763&lang=enThe Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)LOS ANGELES - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has announced the individuals selected to participate in the NextGen@ICANN Program at the ICANN87 Annual General Meeting. An independent committee selected the NextGen@ICANN87 participants based on their current studies and interest in Internet governance-related fields, according to the official website of ICANN. The ICANN87 Annual General Meeting will be held in Bali, Indonesia, October 17–22, 2026, as a hybrid meeting to accommodate both in-person and virtual participation. The 12 NextGen@ICANN participants attend universities in the Asia Pacific region, where they study engineering, political science, technology, and other relevant subjects. Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:48:02 GMThttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78762&lang=enhttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78762&lang=enThe South Korea?s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP)DAEJEON - The South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) of the Republic of Korea, headed by Minister Kim Yong Sun, held the First Overseas IP Attache Meeting in a hybrid format, bringing together IP Attaches stationed in the United States, Japan, China, the European Union (EU), and Geneva, as well as representatives from related organizations, including the Korea Intellectual Property Association (KINPA), the Korea Patent Attorneys Association (KPAA), and the Korea Federation of Intellectual Property Organizations (KFIPO), according to the official website of MOIP.  The meeting was organized to review rapidly evolving intellectual property policies and trade-related issues in major countries amid the accelerating AI transformation and intensifying competition for technological leadership. Also on the agenda was a discussion on ways to implement MOIP's K-Brand Certification Program in those jurisdictions. The IP Attaches shared policy and industry developments in their respective regions, focusing on key issues such as AI-related IP policies; IP finance and commercialization; IP protection, enforcement and dispute resolution; and intellectual property issues arising from the ongoing U.S. tariff negotiations. Participants also examined the potential impact of policy developments in major economies on Korean companies and right holders and explored ways to address challenges faced by Korean businesses overseas. MOIP plans to share the information gathered and findings identified through the meeting with concerned departments and agencies in a timely manner, while incorporating them into its policies to help Korean right holders secure, utilize, and protect their IP rights overseas. Minister Kim Yong Sun stated, "As competition among countries in the fields of AI and advanced technologies intensifies, intellectual property has increasingly become a decisive factor of industrial competitiveness and economic security. Through our overseas IP Attaches, MOIP will closely monitor policy and market developments in major jurisdictions and strengthen our support for Korean right holders in securing, utilizing, and protecting their intellectual property rights in overseas markets."  Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:48:52 GMThttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78761&lang=enhttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78761&lang=enThe World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) GENEVA - The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) and Interpat have launched a new partnership that underlines a shared commitment to intellectual property supporting health innovation, according to the official website of WIPO.  The new collaboration is designed to support startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the health technology, MedTech and biotechnology sectors in making strategic use of intellectual property (IP) to promote innovation. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at WIPO headquarters on June 29, 2026, provides a framework for collaboration that combines WIPO’s expertise in intellectual property management delivered through its Intellectual Property Management Clinics (IPMCs), with IFPMA’s global network of pharmaceutical industry associations and Interpat’s community of senior intellectual property and patent professionals. The partnership builds on WIPO’s established IP Management Clinic methodology. In the past six years, WIPO has delivered more than 100 IPMC and IP workshops in more than 60 countries, supporting over 3,500 SMEs and startups in strategic use of IP. The new initiative aims to strengthen the ability of innovative companies to manage and leverage IP assets such as patents, trademarks, trade secrets and regulatory data. It is expected to enhance companies’ capacity to attract investment, negotiate partnerships and licensing agreements and make greater use of international systems. “I am pleased to welcome the support from IFPMA and INTERPAT for WIPO's Intellectual Property Management Clinics and a new phase in our partnership to support biotech and pharmaceutical startups in emerging markets. Improvements in health rely on intellectual property, which enables job growth and economic development and incentivizes the innovation on which human health and wellbeing depend. By pairing promising innovators with real-world expertise on IP strategy, these clinics strengthen local innovation ecosystems and help transform ideas into impact,” Daren Tang, WIPO Director General said. “I am delighted that IFPMA is able to join this new partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization and Interpat. Intellectual property underpins the innovation cycle that makes the development of new medicines and vaccines possible. The global intellectual property framework allows IFPMA members to invest in R&D and collaborate with partners in a way that delivers medicines and vaccines to the people who need them. By working with WIPO and Interpat, IFPMA reaffirms our shared commitment to creating the conditions for science and collaboration to thrive worldwide”, David Reddy, Director General, IFPMA said.  “Intellectual property delivers its full value when it is actively managed and embedded in business strategy. Through our network at Interpat, we are bringing expertise to help SMEs better understand, manage and leverage their IP to scale their innovations, tailored to their local ecosystems.I am pleased to be able to join colleagues at IFPMA and WIPO to strengthen this understanding and support future scientific research and development”, Andrew Jenner, Director General, Interpat said.  As part of the collaboration, WIPO will provide technical methodology, training materials, mentoring framework and access to practical IP tools, while IFPMA and Interpat will mobilize their global networks of pharmaceutical and biotechnology associations to identify participating countries and support outreach to innovative SMEs and startups. The first phase of implementation will focus on identifying several countries for an initial cycle of IP Management Clinics, with activities expected to begin later this year. The program will prioritize markets with growing health tech, MedTech and biotech ecosystems and strong demand for IP capacity-building among innovative companies. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to strengthening innovation ecosystems and supporting the development of health solutions through effective IP management. By bringing together public and private sector expertise, the partners aim to expand practical IP support for innovative companies and strengthen innovation-driven growth in the health sector.  Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:48:58 GMThttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78760&lang=enhttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78760&lang=enThe South Korea?s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP)DAEJEON - The Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) of the Republic of Korea, headed by Minister KIM Yong Sun, participated in the IP5 Heads of Office-Industry Meeting and the 19th IP5 Heads of Office Meeting, held in Tokyo, Japan, on June 11–12, 2026, according to the official website of MOIP.  At the IP5 Heads of Office-Industry Meeting on June 11, representatives of the IP5 Offices and industry reviewed the progress of major cooperative initiatives, including the Global Assignment System* and comparative studies on examination practices for AI-related inventions and AI inventorship. They also discussed ways to improve the IP system from the users' perspective. * A system that would enable a single request for the assignment of a patent right to be processed simultaneously across all IP5 jurisdictions. A dedicated session on "Advanced and Reliable IP Systems through Utilizing AI Technologies" provided an opportunity for the IP5 Offices and industry representatives to share their experiences in applying AI technologies at work and to discuss the future direction of IP systems in the AI era. MOIP introduced the Korean government's AI policy initiatives and its efforts to drive AI-based innovation in IP administration, during the session. MOIP also presented its current use of AI technologies across the full spectrum of IP administration, including prior art search, classification, translation, and examination, as well as its IP-AX (AI Transformation in IP) initiative to build a next-generation AI-powered IP administration system. The IP5 Offices and industry representatives acknowledged the transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness of AI deployment, while agreeing on the need for having the Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) principle in place - that is, human review, approval, and modification in the final stage still remains essential in AI-assisted workflows. At the 19th IP5 Heads of Office Meeting on June 12, the heads of the IP5 Offices reviewed the progress of ongoing IP5 cooperative projects and had the comprehensive review of the IP5 New Emerging Technologies and Artificial Intelligence (NET/AI) Roadmap, which has guided cooperation over the past five years. They agreed to identify new opportunities for collaboration in the AI era and to continue discussions on emerging issues of common interest. During the discussion on "The Role of IP5 Offices in the Age of AI," the heads of the five offices exchanged views on their respective experiences in AI deployment and their policy directions, while also discussing the broader impact of advances in AI technologies on intellectual property systems and innovation ecosystems. Minister Kim emphasized that the rapid expansion of generative AI is creating new challenges, including surging patent filings, growing examination workloads, and increasing IP disputes, and stressed the need for the IP5 Offices to work closely with industry and strengthen joint responses to these emerging issues. Minister Kim stated, "AI is not only an innovative tool that can significantly improve the efficiency and quality of intellectual property administration, but also a source of new challenges for the intellectual property system. MOIP will continue to work proactively with the IP5 and the broader international society to promote a balanced approach that supports both technological innovation in AI and the sound development of the intellectual property system."  Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:49:05 GMThttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78759&lang=enhttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78759&lang=enThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC)Warning letters sent to seven companies urge compliance with FTC’s Made in the USA Standard WASHINGTON - The Federal Trade Commission issued warning letters to seven companies that appear to have misrepresented certain products as “Made in the USA,” and one company that appears to have misrepresented certain products as “Made in Texas,” despite indications that such products were imported, in whole or in significant part, according to the official website of the Commission.  “When Americans spend their hard-earned dollars on goods marketed as ‘Made in the USA,’ they deserve to have confidence that these products were all or virtually all made in this country,” said Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We will hold accountable any company that undermines Americans’ trust with misleading or outright false U.S. origin claims.” The letters were issued to companies selling products such as drums, industrial laser machinery, coordinate measuring machines and e-cigarettes. Today’s action furthers the Commission’s ongoing work?to ensure products claimed to be made in the United States are actually supporting American workers, manufacturing and communities. In March, President Donald J. Trump issued an?Executive Order, “Ensuring Truthful Advertising of Products Claiming to be made in America,” directing the Commission to prioritize enforcement actions over unlawful “Made in USA” claims. In April, the Commission announced three law enforcement actions settling allegations that sellers of American flag products, footwear and electronic dartboards violated Section 5 of the FTC Act, Section 45a and the Made in USA Labeling Rule. The firms agreed to stop making unlawful “Made in USA” claims and to pay redress to injured consumers. Such law enforcement actions also ensure that American businesses, who have made the necessary investments in domestic manufacturing, are not disadvantaged by bad actors and that there is fair competition for those sellers who truthfully advertise their products as made in the United States. Today’s letters were sent to A&F Drum Company LLC, Z-Tech Advanced Technologies Inc., Vtron Inc., Helmel Engineering Products Inc., NebTech Inc., Lucky Bar Holdings LLC and My Vape Order Inc. The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and protect and educate consumers. The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. Learn more about consumer topics at consumer.ftc.gov, or report fraud, scams, and bad business practices at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.  Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:49:11 GMThttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78758&lang=enhttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78758&lang=enThe South Korea?s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP)DAEJEON - The South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) of the Republic of Korea, headed by Minister KIM Yong Sun, announced that it held a series of bilateral meetings on June 10 with its key cooperation partner offices attending the IP5 Heads of Office Meeting* held in Tokyo, Japan, according to the official website of MOIP.  * The IP5 is a cooperative framework among the world's five largest intellectual property offices: the Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) of the Republic of Korea, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), and the European Patent Office (EPO), which together account for approximately 85 percent of global patent applications. The heads of the IP5 Offices meet annually. At a meeting with the USPTO, which marked MOIP's first bilateral meeting with the USPTO since its launch, Minister Kim and John A. Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO exchanged views on the changes in the global intellectual property landscape, WIPO-related issues, the operation of the Inter Partes Review (IPR) system, and ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The heads agreed to continue close communication on major issues and to further expand and strengthen cooperation on emerging areas, including responses to the AI transformation and IP finance and commercialization. In his bilateral meeting with Kasai Yasuyuki, Commissioner of the JPO, Minister Kim agreed to launch an "Experts Meeting on Intellectual Property Protection," a follow-up action after the discussion between the summits of Korea and Japan in January on the need for cooperation in the field of IP protection. The new cooperative mechanism is expected to contribute to the enhancement of mutual understanding and cooperation by facilitating the exchange of information on relevant systems and practices. Minister Kim also held a meeting with Antonio Campinos, President of the EPO. The two sides agreed to maintain close communication on the latest developments in AI-based patent search and examination systems, conduct joint research on description requirements for AI-related inventions, and hold a joint seminar for Korean users on European patent examination practices and systems. In addition, the heads agreed to launch a pilot project that allows the EPO to be designated as an International Searching Authority (ISA) for Korea. The decision is expected to help Korean applicants enjoy more diverse and efficient international patent application services. Minister Kim also met with Lisa Jorgenson, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The two sides agreed to continue cooperation on the realization of an international assignment system,* which has attracted strong interest from industry, as well as on enhancing Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) services so that inventions by Korean innovators can be more easily and securely protected in global markets. * An international system that would allow applicants to file a single request for the assignment of intellectual property rights, including patents, instead of filing separate requests in each country where the rights are registered. Minister Kim stated, "MOIP will continue to work closely with international partners to jointly respond to key issues, including strengthening global IP protection and adapting to the AI transformation."  Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:49:19 GMThttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78757&lang=enhttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78757&lang=enThe United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)Regionally specialized innovation ecosystem partnerships to serve as nodes of university research excellence and engagement with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions ALEXANDRIA - America’s Innovation Agency, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in furtherance of its statutory obligations under the 2022 UAIA, announces the selection of Georgia and Alabama innovation ecosystem partnerships in response to its recent RFC to further the agency’s Community Engagement Office expansion to include the Southeast region. The selection of Georgia and Alabama will focus particularly on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), according to the official website of USPTO.  Beginning with the Mountain West region announcements of Montana and Utah Community Engagement Offices, the USPTO reimagined its university partnership footprint to build an agile model of meeting innovators where they are and more importantly, driving commercialization, manufacturing and marketplace adoption. The Southeast Community Engagement Office expansion will include regionally specialized innovation ecosystem partnerships anchored in Georgia and Alabama, reflecting distinct regional strengths spanning commercialization, entrepreneurship, branding, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and strategic technologies. As robust engines of invention and innovation, HBCUs receive more than $810 million of federal research and development funding according to the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NSF-NCSES). Indeed, innovation at HBCUs is vast, cutting across a wide spectrum of science and technologies including medicine, engineering, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, defense technologies, and the physical sciences. Across America, university research and breakthroughs fuel our nation’s leadership not only in innovation but also in commercialization, manufacturing, and technology. The innovation ecosystem partnership announced today help connect HBCUs and Minority-Serving Institutions directly to the engines of entrepreneurship, advanced manufacturing, strategic technologies, and economic growth. The partnerships announced today provide robust hubs where researchers, innovators and funders can help translate research into real-world impact and in turn drive the next generation of American ingenuity and stronger infrastructure to ensure American innovation is developed, commercialized, and scaled in the United States. The Georgia and Alabama innovation ecosystem partnerships will carry out the strategic direction of the USPTO’s Office of Public Engagement and ensure the USPTO’s initiatives and programs are tailored to each community’s unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders. The ecosystem partnerships will work closely with intellectual property practitioners and services, startups, commercialization initiatives, and job-growth accelerators. They will also collaborate with local STEM organizations on outreach and educational programming. Georgia In Georgia, the USPTO will work with universities in the Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC – Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman College) and the Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE - founded by Spelman, Morehouse, Black Economic Alliance Foundation, and Bank of America) which has a national reach with its experiential Launch Incubator for Traction (LIFT) program. USPTO will work with the AUC-GRANTED Initiative which has a collaborative approach to expand the research support and service capacity including technology transfer. The Georgia ecosystem partnership will emphasize commercialization, entrepreneurship, branding, startup ecosystems, and innovation acceleration. "Clark Atlanta University is honored to be selected for this USPTO innovation ecosystem partnership, which recognizes the critical role HBCUs play in America's innovation leadership—from research and invention to commercialization and economic impact," said Clark Atlanta University President George T. French, Jr., Ph.D. Dr. French continued, "For too long, HBCU innovators have faced barriers in accessing resources to protect intellectual property and scale breakthrough ideas into viable enterprises. This partnership directly addresses that gap by connecting our researchers, students, and faculty to the full spectrum of support—from patent protection to startup acceleration to manufacturing pathways," French adds. "This is about ensuring HBCU-driven innovation translates into ventures, jobs, and wealth creation while strengthening America's competitive edge globally." Dr. Mark Lee, SVP for Academic Affairs and Provost at Spelman College said, "Spelman has a long-standing legacy of fostering academic excellence and empowering Black women to lead and innovate on a global scale. This partnership with the USPTO provides our students and the broader Atlanta University Center community with vital resources to protect their intellectual property, cultivate their entrepreneurial talents, and turn groundbreaking ideas into real-world impact. Our focus remains entirely on equipping the next generation of innovators with the tools they need to thrive and build lasting legacies." Kendrick Brown, PhD, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs offered, "At Morehouse, we prepare men not only to lead in their fields but to own what they create. The USPTO's investment in the Atlanta University Center Consortium reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that HBCU students, researchers, and entrepreneurs have direct access to the intellectual property systems that protect innovation and generate economic opportunity. This partnership strengthens our capacity to connect academic excellence to real-world commercialization, and we are proud to be part of it." Dr. Grant Warner, the Executive Director of the CBE who has dedicated his career to implementing new opportunities for Black entrepreneurs, particularly at HBCUs said, "It is an honor to be selected as a site for a USPTO Community Engagement Office engagement partnership. It will allow us to take our programming to the next level with respect to both innovation and branding." Alabama In Alabama, the USPTO will work with Alabama A&M University and the broader Huntsville-area innovation ecosystem, including stakeholders connected to aerospace, advanced manufacturing, defense technologies, space commercialization, and STEM workforce development. Huntsville serves as one of the nation’s leading strategic technology corridors with substantial federal research, engineering, and commercialization activity connected to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal, and the region’s advanced manufacturing and aerospace sectors. "Alabama A&M University has a long-standing commitment to building partnerships that advance innovation, research, and economic opportunity. Establishing a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office presence on campus will provide students, faculty, and small businesses with greater access to intellectual property resources and expertise. Such access also serves to drive economic growth in this region and transform research into real-world solutions," stated AAMU President Dr. Daniel K. Wims. The Alabama ecosystem partnership will emphasize strategic technologies, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and commercialization connected to federal and national-security-adjacent innovation ecosystems. "A USPTO presence at AAAMU creates new opportunities for our students, faculty, and businesses. It also more effectively moves innovative products and services from offices and laboratories to the marketplace," said Dr. Majed El-Dweik, Vice President of Research and Economic Development. These offices will collaborate with existing Southeast-based USPTO program participants like the USPTO Patent Pro Bono Program which provides free patent legal assistance.  Georgia PATENTS (Georgia) and Gulf South Invents are the local program participants. The USPTO also imagines that the agency’s existing HBCU-based Law School Clinics in the Southeast at North Carolina Central University School of Law and the Southern University Law Center will be able to support and enable these innovation ecosystems. The purposes of these ecosystem partnerships, as stated in the UAIA of 2022, include: 1. To partner with local community organizations, institutions of higher education, research institutions, and businesses to create tailored community-based programs that provide education regarding the patent system and promote the career benefits of innovation and entrepreneurship; and 2. To educate prospective inventors, including individual inventors, small businesses, veterans, low-income populations, students, rural populations, and any geographic group of innovators that the Director may determine to be underrepresented in patent filings, about all public and private resources available to potential patent applicants, including the patent pro bono program. The decision on the Georgia and Alabama ecosystem partnerships was based on the following criteria: 1. Robust research activity and graduate-level programs of study in areas which lead to innovations, IP, and IP-intensive companies/industries; 2. Availability and concentration of existing commercialization and business development resources (Innovation Ecosystem); and Ability to support all innovators, as set forth in UAIA, Sec. 104(b)(3). Today’s announcement furthers the USPTO’s plan to develop and advance specialized engagement partners as engines of opportunity, growth and global competitiveness. With specialized nodes of university research excellence as active partners, the USPTO is building a nationwide infrastructure comprising nodes of American ingenuity with start-up, university, incubator, manufacturing, advance technology and innovation-ecosystem communities as its lifeblood. America’s Innovation Agency congratulates and welcomes its new partners.Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:49:25 GMThttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78756&lang=enhttps://www.agip-news.com/news.aspx?id=78756&lang=enThe South Korea?s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP)DAEJEON - The South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) of the Republic of Korea jointly hosted the Korea-EU Seminar on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) online with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) on May 27, 2026, according to the official website of MOIP.  The seminar was part of the RoK-EU Intellectual Property Action, a cooperative initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by EUIPO under the supervision of the Directorate-General for Trade (DG TRADE) of the European Commission. Since the launch of the Action in 2024, the MOIP and EUIPO have worked closely together driven by a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the European Union in the field of intellectual property. The seminar brought together government officials* and private-sector experts from both Korea and the European, to promote an effective and proper use of ADR systems among various stakeholders and users, and share their respective ADR systems and practices for resolving intellectual property disputes, including mediation and arbitration. During the panel discussion, participants also exchanged views on their experiences with ADR mechanisms from the users' perspective, the ways to promote wider use of such mechanisms, and opportunities for further Korea-EU cooperation in this field. * Including the EUIPO Mediation Center and the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Center (PMAC) of the Unified Patent Court.  Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:49:30 GMT