The annual WIPO Intellectual Property Judges Forum aims to provide a platform for judges from across the globe to exchange their expertise on the most pressing intellectual property (IP) challenges raised by accelerating innovation and the increasingly transnational use of IP.
The 2026 WIPO Intellectual Property Judges Forum will be held on October 14 and 15, 2026. This page will continue to be updated with further details on the program, the speakers and information for participants.
The WIPO Intellectual Property Judges Forum is an annual event organized by the WIPO Judicial Institute as part of the Organization’s work with the judiciaries.
October 14–15, 2026
Program for the 2026 WIPO Intellectual Property Judges Forum
Day one – October 14, 2026
Registration (8.00 – 9.00)
Opening (9.00 – 9.15)
Name
Title
Name
Title
Name
Title
Name
Title
Name
Title
Name
Title
Session 1: IP and Artificial Intelligence (AI) (9.15 – 10.15)
- Copyright eligibility of works generated with the assistance of AI
- Generative AI outputs and infringement of copyright or personality rights
- Liability for use of infringing AI-generated outputs
- Misappropriation of trade secrets involving AI technologies and the burden of proof
Coffee Break (10.15 – 10.45)
Featured Speaker on AI and Court Proceedings (11.00 – 11.30)
Session 2: AI and Court Proceedings (10.45 – 12.30)
-
Emerging AI uses to enhance judicial efficiency – research, transcription, evidence analysis, drafting and case management
-
Principles for AI use in justice systems – human rights, fairness, reliability, transparency and human oversight
-
Preserving human judgment and setting clear limits on automation in adjudication
-
Good practices, guidelines and lessons from early-adopter jurisdictions
-
Future outlook – online courts and redesigned court procedures
Lunch Break (12.30 – 14.30)
Optional: Fundamentals of AI Technology, Room B (13.30 – 14.30)
Special Guest Speaker on Synthetic Media and Digital Evidence (14.30 – 15.00)
Session 3: Copyright and AI Model Training (15.00 – 15.45)
-
Whether acts of reproduction under copyright law occur during training
- Unauthorized reproduction of protected works or databases and potentially applicable exceptions, e.g. fair use, fair dealing, and text-and-data mining
- Dataset provenance, transparency, and discovery challenges
- Evaluating economic impact, licensing markets, and remedies
Coffee Break (15.45 – 16.15)
Session 4: Software and Digital Technology Patents (16.15 – 17.30)
-
Boundaries of subject-matter eligibility in computer-implemented inventions and their relationship with other patentability requirements
-
Technical contribution requirements for computer program claims and their applicability to AI-based inventions
- Next generation digital technologies
Group photo to be followed by Reception (17.30)
Day 2 – October 15, 2026
Session 5: IP at the Apex Courts (9.00 – 9.45)
Session 6: Comparative, Referential and Expressive Use of Trademarks (9.45 – 11.00)
- Use of third-party trademarks in comparative advertising and other promotional contexts, including labels and packaging
- Referential or nominative use of a third-party trademark, including to identify products or indicate their characteristics, compatibility or intended purpose
- Balancing trademark rights, fair competition, consumer protection, and freedom of expression
Coffee Break (11.00 – 11.30)
Session 7: Online Platforms and Intermediary Liability for IP Infringement (11.30 – 12.45)
- Criteria for direct and indirect/secondary liability of online platforms for infringement and unfair competition
- Scope and availability of safe-harbor exclusions
- Online marketplaces and counterfeit goods – obligations and liability exposure relating to seller vetting, listing design, advertisement, payment and logistics
- Social media platforms and user-generated content – obligations and liability exposure relating to hosting, content moderation and proactive monitoring
- Negotiation and remuneration mandates for online use of press publications by digital platforms
- Injunctive remedies, including site blocking, dynamic injunctions and staydown orders
Lunch Break (12.45 – 14.15)
Optional: WIPO Lex Demonstration, Room B (13.15 – 14.15)
WIPO’s Work with Judiciaries (14.15 – 14.45)
Session 8: Cross-border Aspects of IP Disputes (14.45 – 15.45)
- Private international law and IP – determination of competent jurisdiction and applicable law
- Managing parallel proceedings pending in different jurisdictions
- Territoriality of IP rights and infringement involving acts across different jurisdictions
- Territorial scope of injunctions and other remedies
Coffee Break (15.45 – 16.15)
Session 9: Specialized Procedural Rules for IP Disputes (16.15 – 17.45)
- Judicial Structures and Procedural Rules for Intellectual Property Disputes: A Comparative Report
- Case management rules or guidelines specific to IP disputes, including pre hearing conferences
- Specialized rules for evidence, including types of evidence, submission, discovery and experts
- Bifurcated procedure for invalidity and infringement disputes
- Simplified or fast-track procedures
- Coordination of regional and national legal frameworks
Closing (17.45)
Previous editions of the Forum
In 2025, the Forum brought together over 520 judges from 95 countries and five regional courts to engage with their global peers. The program focused on emerging issues across several of the most established areas of intellectual property law, including industrial designs, pharmaceutical patents, trademarks, and copyright related rights. Discussions also addressed personality rights and challenges related to the digital environment, including artificial intelligence. Cross-cutting issues surrounding evidence, damages calculations, and criminal enforcement were also featured.