Editor’s Note: Intellectual Property Highlights and Strategies for Innovation

Welcome to the MeritsIP Newsletter. We delve into critical updates in the intellectual property landscape, providing insights and strategies to help you navigate the ever-evolving world of patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Read on to stay informed and ahead in the game of innovation.

---

China’s Protection of Intellectual Property Rights Network

Recently, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced the demonstration and creation objects for the construction of a national intellectual property power from 2025 – 2027. Four units in Fuyang, Anhui, were selected as creation objects of national intellectual property demonstration enterprises. Before this, 9 enterprises in the city were rated as national intellectual property demonstration enterprises and 44 as national intellectual property advantageous enterprises.

In 2025, Fuyang designated it as the “Year of High – value Invention Patent Improvement”. By the end of 2025, the city had 3,007 high – value invention patents, ranking 7th in the province, with a year – on – year growth rate of 38%, ranking first in the province. The number per 10,000 people reached 3.74.

Fuyang issued relevant plans and established a multi – department working group to cultivate high – value invention patents. It built an online platform and explored a “patent supermarket”, facilitating many patent licenses. It also optimized intellectual property services, built provincial patent navigation service bases, carried out enterprise – benefiting activities, explored securitization models, and launched a loan product, achieving a 500 – million – yuan centralized credit for an industrial park.

---

China’s Protection of Intellectual Property Network

Recently, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Market Supervision and Administration Bureau (Intellectual Property Office) launched the 2026 patent implementation project application. The aim is to promote the industrialization and marketization of patented technologies, solve the “last – mile” problem of scientific and technological achievement transformation.

The application is open to enterprises, universities, and research institutes with independent legal person status in the region. Three key projects are set up, focusing on characteristic and strategic emerging industries in Xinjiang. Public service projects are also supported.

Applicants must be valid patent owners or legal users with clear rights and no disputes, and have necessary facilities, funds, etc. The application process includes multiple steps to ensure fairness.

This is an important measure to strengthen intellectual property protection and improve transformation efficiency. In the future, Xinjiang will deepen cooperation, accelerate high – value patent industrialization, and carry out 12 patent transformation activities to integrate intellectual property with the real economy and promote high – quality development.

---

China’s Protection of Intellectual Property Rights Network

Recently, the Trademark Business Xicheng Acceptance Window of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) was launched at the Xicheng District Government Affairs Hall. On February 28, time – honored brands Liubiju and Daiyuexuan in Xicheng became the first service recipients at the window, enjoying “door – to – door” services. The window offers “one – stop” trademark services, reducing business handling costs and bridging the “last mile” of enterprise services.

The opening of the window improves the intellectual property work system, collaborates with the Xicheng District Enterprise Service Center, and serves entities nationwide. It provides a platform for investment promotion and a chance to promote Xicheng.

Next, Xicheng District will take the window as a new starting point, optimize service processes, enhance capabilities, and strengthen collaboration. It aims to improve the convenience of intellectual property public services, stimulate high – quality development, and support the business environment in the capital’s core area.

---

China’s Protection of Intellectual Property Rights Network

Since the 14th Five – Year Plan, Quanzhou in Fujian has implemented the strategy of building a city with strong intellectual property rights. By the end of 2025, the number of valid trademark registrations in Quanzhou reached 848,300, the first prefecture – level city in China to exceed 800,000, a more than 60% increase from the end of the 13th Five – Year Plan. Its valid trademark registration volume has ranked first among prefecture – level cities for six consecutive years since 2020, with nearly 50 registered trademarks per 100 market entities, higher than the national average.

The quality of Quanzhou’s brands has also improved, with 159 well – known trademarks and 2,146 Madrid trademark international registrations ranking among the top. Twelve enterprise trademark brands are on the national list, and two cases are national excellent cases.

Quanzhou has strengthened brand service and protection. It has set up relevant acceptance windows and guidance stations, improved the network trademark protection system, and achieved a prominent brand – enabling effect, with collaborative production capacity linked by trademarks exceeding 80 billion yuan.

---

Albania Becomes the First to Join the Riyadh Design Law Treaty

Albania deposited its ratification instrument with WIPO Director General Daren Tang, becoming the first member to join the Riyadh Design Law Treaty (RDLT). Adopted in November 2024, the RDLT will simplify design – protection administrative procedures and enter into force three months after 15 eligible parties deposit their instruments. Director General Tang welcomed Albania’s move, highlighting the treaty’s benefits for cross – border design protection. He urged other members to join, especially to support individual designers and small enterprises. Global design data shows its growing economic importance, with about 6.1 million valid registrations in 2024 and over $800 billion invested in 25 high – income economies, India, and Brazil. The RDLT will help designers and businesses obtain protection at home and abroad and may offer technical assistance.

---

The workflow execution failed. The error message indicates that the input data is incorrect as fields cannot be extracted from null values, and it asks to check the input for any empty values. Please ensure the provided URL is valid and try again.

---

Applying for a patent

The European Patent Office (EPO) has announced a strategic collaboration with Mistral AI to accelerate innovation in Europe. They jointly developed a solution using advanced AI to enhance European patent application processing. The solution integrates Mistral AI’s OCR into the EPO’s workflows, addressing the challenge of handling large volumes of complex, multilingual patent documents. The fine – tuned OCR model improves data extraction accuracy, making the patent – granting process more efficient.

The EPO and Mistral AI plan to scale the solution and refine the model based on feedback. By using European – developed AI, the EPO strengthens European sovereignty and complies with European legal, operational, and ethical frameworks. This initiative aligns with the EPO’s AI Policy and Strategic Plan 2028, aiming for efficient delivery of high – quality products and services and supporting digital transformation to meet stakeholders’ changing needs.

---

Main Changes and Impacts of Saudi Arabia’s New Copyright Law

On February 13, 2026, Saudi Arabia issued a new Copyright Law to replace the 2003 version. It represents a significant modernization of the country’s intellectual property framework and will come into force on August 1, 2026, with implementing regulations to be issued beforehand. Key revisions include expanding the territorial scope of protection, clarifying authors’ moral rights, stipulating copyright ownership for works made for hire, clarifying software licensing, introducing an AI exception clause, establishing a safe – harbor system for internet content providers, and strengthening enforcement and penalties. Saudi technology companies should review internal policies on third – party content use, and employers should re – evaluate employment contracts.

---

About Us

MeritsIP: Your Global Intellectual Property Partner

At MeritsIP, we provide comprehensive IP services in biomedicine, medical devices, manufacturing, semiconductors, and AI. We support 200+ top clients globally with strategic, high-quality IP services.

Stay Connected

• • Website: https://www.meritsipglobal.com

• • LinkedIn: Follow us on LinkedIn

• • Email: info@meritsip.com

© 2025 MeritsIP. All Rights Reserved.