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.
October 14–15, 2026
Program for the 2026 Intellectual Property Judges Forum
Day one – October 14, 2026
Registration (8.00 – 9.00)
Opening (9.00 – 9.15)
Session 1: Intellectual Property (IP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) (9.15 – 10.30)
- Application of patentable subject matter exclusions to AI models and AI-based inventions
- Copyright eligibility of works generated with the assistance of AI
- Generative AI outputs and infringement of copyright, trademark, or personality rights
- Liability of AI providers for infringement
Coffee Break (10.30 – 11.00)
Featured Speaker on AI and Court Proceedings (11.00 – 11.30)
Session 2: AI and Court Proceedings (11.30 – 12.30)
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Emerging AI uses to enhance judicial efficiency – research, transcription, evidence analysis, drafting and case management
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Principles for AI use in justice systems – human rights, fairness, reliability, transparency and human oversight
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Preserving human judgment and setting clear limits on automation in adjudication
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Good practices, guidelines and lessons from early-adopter jurisdictions
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Future outlook – online courts and redesigned court procedures
Lunch Break (optional expert speaker on AI Basics) (12.30 – 14.00)
Session 3: Spotlight Session – Copyright and AI Model Training (14.00 – 15.00)
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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, text-and-data mining
- Dataset provenance, transparency, and discovery challenges
- Evaluating economic impact, licensing markets, and remedies
Coffee Break (15.00 – 15.30)
Session 4: Software and Digital Technology Patents (15.30 – 16.45)
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Boundaries of subject-matter eligibility in computer-implemented inventions and its relationship with other patentability requirements
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Technical contribution requirements for computer program claims and their applicability to AI-based inventions
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Relationship between patents on computer programs and other IP regimes
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Infringement where claim steps are performed by multiple actors or across different jurisdictions over the cloud
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Next generation digital technologies
WIPO’s Work with Judiciaries (16.45 – 17.15)
Group Photo to be followed by Reception (17.15)
Day 2 – October 15, 2026
Expert Speaker: Synthetic media and digital evidence (9.00 – 9.45)
Session 5: Comparative, Referential and Expressive Use of Trademarks (9.45 – 11.00)
- Use of competitor trademarks in comparative advertising, including labels and packaging, or online keyword advertising
- Expressive use of third-party trademarks in speech, art, or commentary
- Referential or nominative use of a third-party trademark, in particular to indicate the intended purpose of a product
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Emerging issues related to social media influencers and affiliate marketing
Coffee Break (11.00 – 11.30)
Session 6: Online Platforms and Intermediary Liability for IP Infringement (11.30 – 12.45)
- Criteria for direct and indirect/secondary liability of online platforms, including safe harbour 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
- Liability of AI platforms for user-generated infringing output
- Injunctive remedies, including site blocking, dynamic injunctions and staydown orders
Lunch Break (optional WIPO Lex demonstration) (12.45 – 14.15)
Session 7: Cross-border Aspects of IP Disputes (14.15 – 15.30)
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Private international law and IP – determination of competent jurisdiction and applicable law
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Managing parallel proceedings pending in different jurisdictions
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Cross-border evidence gathering – documents, witnesses and digital data located abroad
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Territorial scope of provisional measures and their potential impact on disputes in foreign jurisdictions
- Territorial scope of injunctions and other remedies for multi-scale acts of infringement
- SEP disputes – global FRAND rate-setting, anti-suit injunctions and jurisdiction over worldwide portfolio licenses
Coffee Break (15.30 – 16.00)
Session 8: Specialized Procedural Rules for IP Disputes (16.00 – 17.15)
- 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
Closing (17.15)
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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.