News

Nice Classification 2026: Key Changes Affecting Trade Mark Filings

Meet Charlotte Watkins at The Lifted Project Women Angels Conference 2026

Meet Charlotte Watkins at The Lifted Project Women Angels Conference 2026 on Friday 30 January in Leeds.

A to Z: Drugs in Highlight – Revisited

From bold lifecycle extensions to high-stakes litigation, each article will explore how IP continues to shape the destiny of these products. We will uncover the tactics, the turning points, and the lessons that matter for anyone navigating the crossroads of innovation and exclusivity in the drug discovery sector.

Elevate Your Career in IP: Join Secerna as a Physics Patent Attorney

Are you a part-qualified or fully qualified UK and/or European Patent Attorney currently in private practice or working in-house looking to take the next step? If you are seeking a new challenge that will provide you with exciting new opportunities to develop and contribute to a fast-growing IP firm, we would be delighted to hear from you.

CJEU asked to interpret Article 3(d) in new SPC referral

The German Federal Patent Court has asked the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to resolve a fundamental question at the intersection of human and veterinary pharmaceutical regulation: Can a veterinary medicine authorisation qualify as the “first authorisation” for Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) purposes when the same active ingredient was authorised years earlier for human use?

A Multi-Jurisdictional Analysis of Geographical Trade Marks

Trade mark disputes involving professional sports teams rarely turn on obscure points of law. When they do arise, they tend to expose first principles in an unusually public and commercially consequential way.

UK IPO Fee Increases: 1 April 2026

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has confirmed that it will increase most of its official fees for patents, trade marks, and designs from 1 April 2026.

EPO Announces Fee Adjustments for 2026

The Administrative Council of the European Patent Office (EPO) has adopted a new decision (CA/D 9/25) to adjust the official fee schedule. These changes are set to take effect from 1st April 2026. If you would like to discuss how the revised EPO fee schedule may impact your current or future patent applications, please contact our team of attorneys.  

Managing freedom-to-operate (FTO) risks in drug discovery startups

In 2026, the landscape for drug discovery startups has never been more competitive or patent-intensive. Advances in biologics, AI-assisted drug design, and global development strategies have accelerated innovation while significantly increasing intellectual property (IP) complexity. For startups in the drug discovery space, innovation is only part of the equation.