The 2026 TM5 Midterm Meeting, held virtually from 26 to 28 May and hosted by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), focused on advancements in joint projects and collaborative initiatives.
During the meeting, the Partners discussed enhancing user engagement, acknowledged the recent release of partial TM5 statistical data, and ongoing efforts to connect with users through the TM5 website. Following the success of the color mark guide, the Partners are now preparing a guide for sound marks. Possible topics were discussed for the next TM5 workshop at the 2027 International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting in San Diego, and it was confirmed that the next seminar on bad-faith trademark filings will be held in the Southeast Asian region in early 2027.
During a session on emerging issues, the Partners held an open discussion on emerging issues and learned how each office examines motion marks. EUIPO described its Early TM Screening Tool, a standalone pre-assessment resource designed to help applicants identify potential issues with prospective trade marks before formal submission. USPTO described its human-centered use of a number of new artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve the efficiency of trademark processes both internally and for customers. USPTO also explained its leading role in educating the public on the use of trademark registrations as a means to protect names, images, and likenesses (NIL) of sports figures, celebrities, and others from harmful digital replicas created by AI.
The Midterm Meeting concluded with a user session during which the Partners provided updates on the TM5 cooperative projects and individual IP office developments. These updates were followed by a robust Q&A session where users directly engaged with the TM5 Partners.
TM5 Partners will convene for the 2026 TM5 Annual Meeting in Guangzhou, China, on November 2-3.
