A delegation of specialists from the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) and representatives of the judicial system of the Republic of Moldova participated on 21-22 May 2026 in the 6th edition of the IP Case Law Conference (6th IP Case Law Conference). The event, held under the theme “Growing through Change”, took place in a hybrid format - at the headquarters of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante, Spain, and online.
The presence of Moldovan specialists at this prestigious international forum was ensured thanks to the strategic support provided by the “Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights - Enlargement and Neighborhood” (EU4IP) Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by EUIPO.
The event brought together representatives of courts, intellectual property offices, academics and intellectual property practitioners from the European Union and other jurisdictions, providing a platform for dialogue on the latest developments in trade mark and industrial design jurisprudence, as well as the challenges posed by new technologies and artificial intelligence.
Over the two days, the conference agenda covered a wide range of topics of utmost relevance for the development of intellectual property jurisprudence. The speeches started with new trends in the examination of EU trade marks, assessing marks outside Latin or Cyrillic scripts, the emerging role of subcategory creation for “serious use” and the impact of graphics on weakly distinctive marks. Particular interest was given to industrial designs in the context of the new legislative reforms, addressing the Lego modular exception, disputes over spare parts in the automotive sector and the latest cases from the practice of the Boards of Appeal. The experts also provided a comparative perspective on the protection of iconic marks in the European Union, China, the United States of America, Japan and South Korea.
The participation of specialists from the Republic of Moldova in the 2026 IP Case Law Conference is an essential pillar in strengthening the professional network of magistrates and AGEPI specialists. The direct exchange of experience with the appeal structures of the EUIPO and the European courts will contribute to improving the quality of national judgments and decisions, ensuring a business environment based on clear rules and coherent application of the law, in full compliance with European norms.
