Recent Developments in IP Fees, Laws, and Cooperation
UAE
A new schedule of fees in relation to trademarks entered into force in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as of November 15, 2025.
The amended fee schedule aims to make the trademark system more accessible and inclusive for business owners, with the long-term goal of encouraging entrepreneurship. As such, a 50% fee reduction for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) registered with the UAE's SME National Programme has been introduced, as well as total fee exemptions for People of Determination who meet the relevant criteria, including individuals with disabilities.
New fees have also been introduced by the new structure, including those for filing an appeal against a decision by the IPO not to register a trademark, as well as for the conversion of a national trademark application to an international application. From November 15 onwards, applicants are now required to pay a fee of 400 AED to the UAE Trademark Office for filing for the conversion of a national application into an international one via the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
The previous fee structure regarding appeals against opposition decisions was also amended, with the costs associated with said oppositions now varying based upon whether the filing party is the plaintiff or the opponent.
Further, a new fee for the Registration of a Geographical Indication (GI) was introduced, comprising 6,500 AED, with the UAE's GI System having been implemented in May 2025, aiming to provide a higher level of protection for products unique to the country and its regions.
A new “One-Day Trademark Examination” service has taken effect in line with the new fee structure, allowing applicants to request the expedited examination of their trademark applications. This new examination route reduces the processing time from up to several weeks to just one single business day, costing applicants a fee of 2,250 AED.
Finally, the recently implemented resolution provides clarity that trademark fees within the UAE will continue to apply to each individual class covered in an application. As such, if a trademark application covers more than one class of goods or services, a separate fee will be due and owing for each individual class.
The amendments and new additions to the fee schedule of the UAE represent a move toward a more inclusive and forward-thinking IP field in the country, encouraging further IP filings and entrepreneurship.
Albania
A significant reform to the IP legislation of Albania entered into force as of August 16, 2025, introducing a stand-alone Trademark Law separating the regulations on trademarks from the all-encompassing IP Law which previously governed all IP types.
The new legislation largely restructures the trademark system of Albania, aligning it with EU standards and harmonising national law with European trademark directives. As such, the updated provisions clarify the procedural framework for the registration of international marks via the Madrid System, both for Albanian applicants, and foreign applicants designating Albania in their international applications.
Among the main amendments in relation to international registrations, applications designating Albania are now subject to a formal examination of the specified goods and services. Moreover, it is now permitted to convert registrations from national to international.
The absolute and relative grounds for refusal of trademark registrations have been altered, with absolute grounds now specifically prohibiting traditional wine terms, guaranteed traditional specialties, and trademarks that consist of, or reproduce in their essential elements, plant variety denominations protected under Albanian legislation or relevant international agreements.
The recently implemented law also introduced a uniform framework which applies to all relevant rights, enforcement measures, and contractual agreements in the official Albanian IP Register, setting out measures in which they should be recorded.
The new provisions strengthen the rights of trademark owners, who can now also utilise their registration to prohibit the transportation of goods into Albania during the course of trade from other countries if the goods bear an identical or essentially indistinguishable mark without authorization. This is enforceable even in instances whereby the goods are not intended to be sold in Albania, and brings Albanian national law further in line with EU anti-counterfeiting policies.
The comprehensive overhaul of Albania’s trademark framework is set to improve the overall IP system of the jurisdiction by providing more stringent protection and enforcement provisions for trademark holders.
Japan Bahrain PPH
A new bilateral Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme between the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Kingdom of Bahrain (MOIC) commenced as of January 1, 2026, having been agreed upon by the two jurisdictions on September 19, 2025.
The PPH programme allows the two offices to share patent examination data with one another, meaning that when a patent applicant opts to utilise the PPH and files in both Japan and Bahrain, the patent examination findings of the office of first filing (Japan, for example), will be shared with Bahrain as the office of second filing. This is set to lead to a reduction in the duplication of work, supporting faster examination of the same patent application.
To that end, the PPH between the two countries is set to facilitate an expedited route of patent examination when applicants file in both Japan and Bahrain, resulting in a quicker patenting process overall.
Portugal
As of July 1, 2025, Portugal implemented a new IP fee schedule applying to patents, trademarks and industrial designs, as well as utility models and other IP types. The increases in IP-related costs constitute an approx. 2.2% rise across the board, almost half the percentage rise which was seen in the fee amendments of 2024, which constituted 4.3%.
Patents
As per the new fee schedule, the cost in relation to the filing of a patent application in Portugal has risen to 125.66 EUR from 123 EUR, whilst the fee in relation to the conversion of a provisional patent application into a full patent application increased to 87.98 EUR from 86.11 EUR. The publication fee for a patent application has risen to 6.27 EUR from 6.13 EUR.
Regarding annual patent fees, the cost payable for the 5th maintenance year increased to 61.97 EUR from 60.66 EUR, the 10th to 433.72 EUR from 424.53 EUR, the 15th to 681.53 EUR from 667.09, and the 20th to 867.41 EUR from 849.04 EUR.
Trademarks
In relation to trademark fees, the cost for the filing of a trademark application in one class, as well as the trademark renewal fee, increased from 145.56 EUR to 148.71 EUR.
The filing fee in relation to each additional class beyond the first, as well as the renewal of each additional class, and the fee for the division of a trademark application or registration, rose from 36.90 EUR to 37.69 EUR, whilst the trademark grant fee inflated to 12.57 EUR from 12.31 EUR.
Industrial Designs
The filing fee for an industrial design application covering up to 5 designs now constitutes 125.66 EUR, rising from 123 EUR, and the filing fee for each additional design thereafter rose to 12.57 EUR from 12.31 EUR.
Design annuities also saw the same inflation rate, with the fee for the 2nd annuity period, as an example, increasing to 37.69 EUR from 36.90 EUR.