Intellectual Property Office of Ireland

26/05/2026

Pictured at the European Union Intellectual Property Office - EUIPO IP Case Law Conference last week are John Nolan and Ann Stapleton from the (IPOI), Shane Smyth, Partner with FRKelly, Richard Edgehill, Irish trademark examiner with EUIPO.

25/05/2026

Disruption to all eFiling/eServices Pages, 26th May 2026

Due to essential maintenance, our eFiling/eServices pages will be unavailable on Tuesday 26th May from 2pm to approximately 5pm.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

22/05/2026

Happy International Biological Diversity Day!
This year’s theme is “Acting Locally for Global Impact”

Ireland has biotechnology and environmental patents that relate to biodiversity, conservation, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem protection.

Irish Biodiversity-Related Patent Areas:

- Agricultural Biotechnology 🌾

Irish universities and Agri-tech companies have patented:

disease-resistant crops, sustainable livestock technologies, soil microbiome treatments, and low-impact farming systems.

- Marine Biotechnology 🪸

Ireland’s Atlantic coast has led to patents involving:

algae cultivation, marine-derived pharmaceuticals, bioplastics, and wastewater treatment organisms.

- Environmental Monitoring Technologies 📈

Irish researchers have developed patented:

biodiversity mapping systems, environmental sensors, water-quality monitoring tools, and GIS/ecology software.

Irish inventors can use the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland https://www.ipoi.gov.ie/en/ to protect their patents or the European Patent Office https://www.epo.org/en, visit these websites to get more information!

20/05/2026

Pictured are Caroline Kelly (IPOI) and Nicola Sweeney (IPOI) attending the Budget and Finance Committee meetings in the EPO on 20th and 21st of May 2026.

20/05/2026

On this Day May 20th 1873, Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss received US patent No. 139,121 for an “Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings”. Strauss owned a dry goods business and Davis was a tailor who often bought cloth from Levi Strauss’s wholesale house. In 1872, Davis asked Strauss to partner with him to patent and sell clothing reinforced with rivets. The copper rivets were to reinforce the points of stress, such as pocket corners and at the bottom of the button fly. One great idea can change history just like riveted jeans did.

The next small spark in your mind could become an invention that changes history!

Find out how to protect your ideas and inventions at ipoi website: https://lnkd.in/euGQiM-A

15/05/2026

15/05/2026

The Intellectual Property Office of Ireland was delighted to attend the 2026 Student Enterprise Programme National Finals and meet so many inspiring young innovators.

Huge congratulations to all students who took part, your creativity, ambition, and entrepreneurial spirit were truly impressive.

Special congratulations to this year’s outstanding winners.

We are also proud to celebrate our IPOI special category winners, recognising the importance of protecting innovation, with patent pending ideas already emerging.

The future of Irish enterprise is in great hands!

14/05/2026

The Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI) has become a WIPO Digital Access Service (DAS) Depositing Office with effect from 11th May 2026. From this date, applicants may request the IPOI to make their application available through the WIPO DAS portal.

The World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO DAS portal, which is an electronic system allows priority documents and similar documents to be securely exchanged between participating intellectual property offices.

This system enables applicants and offices to meet the legal certification requirements of intellectual property documentation in an electronic environment. For more information, please click on this link:

https://www.ipoi.gov.ie/en/news-events/news-categories/announcements/office-notice-wipo-digital-access-service-das/

13/05/2026

The Intellectual Property Office of Ireland are delighted to share that the 4iP Council would like to invite you to their upcoming webinar,

“Street Art, Copyright and AI: Legal Challenges at the Urban Frontier.”

Street art challenges traditional copyright frameworks. It is often created anonymously, publicly displayed, and widely reproduced. The rise of artificial intelligence adds a new layer of complexity.

Siri-Helen Egeland will explore how copyright law applies to street art in the age of AI, addressing key questions around authorship, ownership, and infringement.

During this session, participants will gain insights into:

• How copyright applies to street and graffiti art

• The legal implications of AI-generated and AI-trained content

• Key risks and enforcement challenges

• Current policy debates shaping the future of urban creativity

The presentation will be followed by a live Q&A session, offering the opportunity to engage directly with the speaker.

Date: 28 May 2026
Time: 16:00 – 17:00 CEST
Location: Zoom Webinar
Registration: https://www.4ipcouncil.com/research/street-art-copyright-and-ai-legal-challenges-urban-frontier

08/05/2026

Congratulations to all the winners at yesterdays Student Enterprise Programme awards in Mullingar especially the Intellectual Property Award Winners pictured here being presented their awards by Caroline Kelly of the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland.

Senior Category Winners Intellectual Property Award:

"Green Yard" A re-bag stand, Amy Reynolds, Hannah O’Connor and Ruby Duane, from Our Lady's Bower Secondary School Athlone.
Teacher: Ciara Finneran

Intermediate Category Winners Intellectual Property Award:

"Crochet Comforts" Microwavable handmade scented hand warmers with detachable covers. Aine Dullea from Moate Community School.
Teacher Louise Costello

Junior Category Winners Intellectual Property Award:

"ICAN" Bottle and can collection and recycling service,
Paddy Lynch and Tom McDonald St. Mary's CBS Portlaoise
Teacher Deirdre Moore.