[The IPKat] Never Too Late: If you missed the IPKat last week!

[Wissam Bentazar]

Never too late: If you missed The IPKat last week!

 Wissam Bentazar Wednesday, April 01, 2026 -#NeverTooLate, copyright, GIs, Neil Wilkof, patents, trade marks, Wissam Bentazar

Curled between seasons

Not sure where you are reading this from, but if you missed the first week of spring, the IPKat made sure not to. Here is what blossomed on the blog last week.

Geographical Indications

Jocelyn Bosse reportedthat the EU and Australia finally reached a compromise on the long-running ‘Prosecco’ GI dispute, touching on the question whether ‘Prosecco’ is also a plant variety. The agreement leaves room for interpretation, and for markets to adapt in their own way. A neat reminder of how these negotiations play out in practice, and what really happens backstage of your charcuterie board.

Patents

Katfriend Barasha Borthakur explored the USPTO’s early termination of its Climate Change Mitigation Pilot, a programme that once fast-tracked green inventions through the patent system. Its quiet closure raises broader questions about shifting priorities, and what that might mean for climate innovation going forward.

Claire Gregg examined Australia’s extension of time provisions, prompted by a recent decision and a new consultation that could reshape how flexible the system really is. One to watch as the balance between certainty and leniency comes under review.

Rose Hughes questioned whether AI tools for IP are really innovation, or just very polished “wrappers” around existing models. She unpacked what firms are actually buying, and flagged the strategic, confidentiality and long-term risks that come with outsourcing too much to third-party tools. A sharp reality check before signing the next legal tech contract.

In a different vein, Rose Hughes called on readers to contribute to the latest edition of the CIPA “Black Book”, with several sections still open for authors. A rare chance to get involved in one of the profession’s most relied-upon resources, and, as noted, earn a fair amount of admiration along the way.

Trademarks

Katfriend Edoardo Cesarini took us pitch-side into a dispute over a sleeve sponsorship deal with Inter Milan, unpacking termination clauses, payment defaults, and what happens financially when a high-value sponsorship unravels mid-season.

Marcel Pemsel dove into the General Court’s decision in MAN v Rolls-Royce, where a trade mark unravelled after the brand’s own advertising spelled out exactly what it meant, raising questions on descriptiveness, evidence, and how far your marketing can turn against you.

Copyright

Eleonora Rosati unpacked AG Emiliou’s Opinion in Austro-Mechana, looking at whether platforms like YouTube also carry out acts of reproduction when storing user-uploaded content, and what that means for the scope of authorization under Article 17 DSM.

In memoriam

Neil Wilkof returned with a deeply personal piece, reflecting on writing, love, and the quiet tension between devotion to one’s passion and being present for those we love. Through grief, he shared something incredibly intimate about what it means to care, create, and look back with honesty.