WIPR Issue 2 2026

This issue brings you a mix of secrets, Swedish letters, and standard-essential patents, among the usual essential guidance for in-house and private practice IP professionals.

Our cover analyses the high-stakes trade secret play in Apple’s ‘talent-raiding’ dispute with OpenAI. We also examine the shifting rules of engagement from landmark generative AI copyright rulings in Germany to navigating the intricate US “AI prosecution gauntlet.”

Highlights include the UK Supreme Court’s landmark SEP ruling, India’s evolving evidentiary bar for patent enforcement, Brazil’s optimised prosecution strategies, and new guidance on managing IP risk in Russia and marketing standards in Sweden.

The East Asian market remains a focal point as we explore the intersection of cultural heritage and trademark protection in China. We also discuss the maturing Chinese IP landscape, focusing on the country's tougher stance against malicious litigation.

Articles inside this issue include:

IP in Russia: Facts, fiction and strategic guidance
Global stakeholders face a fundamentally altered risk profile in the country—but engaging is vital to protect rights, says Riikka Palmos of Papula-Nevinpat.
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Louis Vuitton wins case against Molly Tea but faces backlash
A Chinese court favours the luxury house in its dispute with a local tea brand, prompting questions about where cultural design heritage ends and trademark protection begins.
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Combating malicious IP litigation in China
A Supreme Court decision finding that the plaintiff acted contrary to good faith signals the country’s tougher stance on the abuse of IP rights, says Xiaojun Guo of CCPIT Patent and Trademark Law Office.
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Tesla victory ‘shifts balance towards implementers’
By allowing Tesla’s appeal against InterDigital and its licensing platform Avanci over patent royalty rates, the UK’s highest court has altered the course of global SEP disputes heard in England & Wales.
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Using IP intelligence to increase corporate value
Effective understanding and analysis of IP information can support strategic decisions on investment, budgeting and growth, explains Shinya Kinuta, managing director of Dennemeyer Japan.
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WIPR launches Influential Women in IP 2026 list
From record-breaking litigation wins to billion-dollar deals and global policy leadership, this year’s cohort features the women shaping the future of intellectual property law.
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IP warning letters: Lessons from PMT 10686-25
A Swedish court has clarified when warning letters may constitute marketing, confirming that the key question is whether they serve a sales-promoting purpose, explains Maria Zamkova of Fenix Legal.
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Surviving the new AI prosecution gauntlet
Navigating the AI patent landscape requires moving beyond § 101 eligibility to master the complex interplay with § 112(a) enablement, says Bradford Fritz of BSKB.
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Music rightsholders win key victory against Suno AI in Germany
In a landmark ruling that carries “global significance”, the AI-generated music platform was found to have copied original classics such as Boney M.’s Daddy Cool and Alphaville’s Big in Japan.
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Playback: Lessons from Philips v Bansal
Eight years on, India’s first standard-essential patent decree has redefined the country’s evidentiary bar for enforcement, explains Pankaj Soni of Remfry & Sagar.
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Exclusive: Winston Taylor’s UK head of IP on pitching $1.75bn firm’s ‘humble, but lethal’ practice
A transatlantic firm with intellectual property at its heart—what’s not to like? The firm’s 30-year veteran tells WIPR why leading a recruitment drive is a “big responsibility” as the combined firm looks to out-scale the opposition.
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Behind the numbers: China’s next phase of IP demand
Understanding the commercial objectives of the companies driving the filing volumes will be key to accessing significant future opportunities, says Chris Li of the Beijing International Intellectual Property Convention (IIPC).
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Apple v OpenAI: A strategic pleading or a procedural misstep?
In what could be the trade secrets dispute of the year, Apple and OpenAI both adopt unconventional—and statutorily curious—strategies in a ‘talent-raiding’ case with a difference, finds Sarah Speight.
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Patent prosecution made simpler, faster, and more efficient
By adapting applications, using fast-track routes and managing claims, applicants can strengthen protection for inventions in Brazil, say Otto Licks, Pablo Barbosa and Rafael Tögel of Licks Attorneys.
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Click here to view the full issue for an in-depth exploration.