The EUIPO reinforces judicial cooperation through the 6th IP Case Law Conference
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), in the context of the EU-funded EU4IP project, supported the participation of judges and intellectual property (IP) experts from the Armenian Intellectual Property Office (AIPO), the State Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova (AGEPI) and the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO) in the 6th IP Case Law Conference, held on 21 and 22 May 2026 at the EUIPO’s headquarters in Alicante.
Organised by the Boards of Appeal of the EUIPO, the Conference brought together senior judges, legal practitioners, academics, in-house counsel and institutional representatives from across Europe, for a high-level exchange on the evolution of European intellectual property jurisprudence. The event, organised around the theme ‘Growing through change’, provided a dedicated forum to discuss recent case law developments in trade marks, designs and related rights, as well as emerging challenges linked to artificial intelligence and digitalisation.
The programme covered key topics including EU trade mark adjudication, proof of use, trade marks with reputation, design case law, admission thresholds and infringement issues. Discussions also addressed recent developments in the case law of the General Court and the Boards of Appeal, providing practical insights into approaches to enforcement and dispute resolution.
This Conference follows previous judicial exchanges facilitated by the EUIPO’s Board of Appeal in the region, including the 5th IP Case Law Conference in 2024 and the EUIPO IP Mediation Conference in 2025, also attended by representatives of the EU4IP partner institutions. These initiatives have progressively strengthened professional networks between EU and partner country judges, fostering peer-to-peer dialogue and closer alignment with EU standards.
Participation of the AIPO, AGEPI and UANIPIO representatives in the Conference contributes to strengthening judicial cooperation and enhancing the enforcement of intellectual property rights in Armenia, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. By facilitating exchanges with EU peers, the activity supports informed judicial decision-making and reinforces professional networks among courts, national IP offices and enforcement authorities.
The Conference is part of the EUIPO’s broader efforts to promote consistent and high-quality adjudication, complementing its role as host of the European Observatory on Infringements of IP Rights, which fosters cooperation among judges and enforcement actors across Europe.
The EUIPO continues to support the approximation of practices with EU case law and standards, contributing to predictable and transparent IP systems. Stronger judicial cooperation ultimately benefits businesses, creators and innovators by ensuring effective protection of intellectual property rights and a more secure environment for investment and trade.
The EUIPO regularly produces summaries on a selection of cases related to trade marks and designs. The aim is to provide legal practitioners, judges and lawmakers with an overview of recent case-law, including a selection of judgments of the EU courts (General Court and Court of Justice), decisions of the EUIPO’s Boards of Appeal, decisions of the EUIPO’s Cancellation Division and case-law relating to infringement and enforcement of intellectual property rights. For more information on recent IP case-law, see: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/law/recent-case-law.