The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have unveiled the results of their study Mapping Global Trade in Fakes 2025: Global Trends and Enforcement Challenges.

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global patent landscape in the field of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) technologies, focusing on three key areas: Prediction, Detection, and Protection technologies. These innovations aim to enhance workplace safety through advanced methods like statistical analysis, machine learning, and real-time monitoring systems. The study reveals a dynamic field driven by technological advancements, regulatory requirements, and increasing awareness of workplace hazards.

GM has filed a patent application for a vehicle system capable of informing authorities about current about conditions and other data, including potentially criminal activity. The application was assigned patent number US20250100558A1 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and was published on March 27th, 2025

Samsung aims to tap into Gemini’s multimodal capabilities for its robot. The Korean tech giant said it’ll pair its own AI with Google’s to enable audio and video inputs for Ballie to answer different questions. Read more at Techcrunch.

Belgische bedrijven, universiteiten en onderzoeksinstellingen hebben vorig jaar ruim 2.500 octrooiaanvragen ingediend bij het Europees Octrooibureau (EOB), een lichte daling na het recordjaar 2022. De KU Leuven is van alle universiteiten in Europa de grootste aanvrager van octrooien. Dat blijkt uit cijfers van het EOB. (Lees verder op Nieuwsblad.be)

 In the dynamic landscape of global innovation, Belgium emerges as a beacon of creativity, particularly highlighted by its strides in biotech patents amidst a backdrop of modest declines in overall patent applications, as per the latest data released by the European Patent Office (EPO). Read the article in The Brussels Times.

See The global landscape of biotech innovation: state of play - European Commission (europa.eu) for an analysis of patented biotechnology inventions worldwide that shows how the EU positions itself compared to the US and China.

Owning Intellectual Property (IP) rights boosts startups’ ability to raise funds, especially for deep-tech industries with higher capital needs

The European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) have published a new joint study highlighting how much patents and trade marks can boost the success of European startups. The report shows that, on average, startups that possess these two types of intellectual property (IP) rights during their initial seed or early growth stages are up to 10.2 times more likely to successfully secure funding.

A better patent system for Europe

The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court are the building blocks which supplement and strengthen the existing centralised European patent granting system. They offer users a cost-effective option for patent protection and dispute settlement across Europe.

Unitary Patent

Unitary Patents make it possible to get patent protection in 17 EU Member States by submitting a single request to the EPO, making the procedure simpler and more cost effective for applicants.

Unified Patent Court

The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is an international court set up by participating EU Member States to deal with the infringement and validity of both Unitary Patents and European patents, putting an end to costly parallel litigation and enhancing legal certainty.