Updates on IP news from our global team!

USPTO Proposes Dramatic Restrictions for Inter Partes Review Institution

On October 17, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that, if accepted, would dramatically change the criteria for Inter Partes Review (IPR) institution before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The NPRM proposes several new rules that would restrict the institution of IPR’s in many instances. Comments on the proposed rules must be submitted by November 17, 2025. Separately, but on the same day, the USPTO Director, John A. Squires, announced that he would assume authority over making all IPR and Post-Grant Review (PGR) institution decisions, an authority that has been delegated to the PTAB since the inception of IPRs. 

Pending, Unexamined Utility Applications have a Short-Lived Opportunity to Jump the Line

In an effort to evaluate the impact of a limited claim set on pendency and examination quality, the USPTO launched the Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program on October 27, 2025. Under the pilot, eligible applications accepted into the pilot will be advanced out of turn for examination until a first Office Action is issued. The program will run until October 27, 2026, or until each Technology Center dockets approximately 200 applications under the pilot. 

ASAP!: 

A Limited Opportunity to Participate in New USPTO AI Search Pilot

The USPTO announced the launch of Artificial Intelligence Search Automated Pilot (ASAP!) that began on October 20, 2025. With a stated goal of testing the efficacy of the USPTO’s new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, the USPTO is providing an opportunity for an automated AI search to be conducted and Automated Search Results Notice (ASRN) to be provided to applicants who petition to participate in the program. The stated goal of the pilot is to ascertain the impact of sharing the ASRN (pre-examination) on prosecution by applicants, evaluate the scalability of generating ASRNs, and collect data to inform the USPTO’s next steps, such as through a survey of participants as to the usefulness of the ASRN in assessing patentability early in the examination process.  

UAE Revises

TM Service Fee

Structure



The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Cabinet issued Resolution No. (102) of 2025, amending some provisions of Cabinet Resolution No. (20) of 2020 regarding fees for services of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. 



WIPO Announces Reduced Trademark Fees for Qatar



In accordance with Rule 35(2)(d) of the Regulations under the Madrid Protocol, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced revised individual fees for trademark applications in Qatar that will take effect on November 9, 2025.

Update on Industrial Design Registration in Qatar



The Qatar Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has officially announced that industrial design applications can be submitted to the IP Office starting October 26, 2025.







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