The EUIPO’s Executive Director, Christian Archambeau reports back on an important month for Intellectual Property rights.

April 26 is world IP day. The occasion was marked by a thought-provoking event co-organised by the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland and the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

In his recorded address, Mr Archambeau highlighted the increasing importance that companies place on protecting their IP rights, but cautioned of the need to ensure SMEs are not left behind. He outlined the tools and actions the EUIPO has put in place to address this important challenge, to support SMEs in protecting their IP rights in a challenging business environment.

This month also marks the 25th anniversary of the first registration of an EU trade mark. Demand for registrations has continued to grow despite the COVID pandemic, with 25% more EU trade mark applications received compared with the same period in 2020.

Learn more about the how the EUIPO and the national IP Offices of Member States are celebrating World IP Day on this Twitter thread.