Daren Tang

If IP was born in Venice, it came of age in the United Kingdom. That thought stayed with me throughout my visit to London this week. The UK helped build some of the foundations of modern IP through the Statute of Monopolies and the Statute of Anne, but it also shaped a wider understanding of what IP means: not just laws and rights, but something that carries culture, signals quality, attracts investment and drives economic growth. Charles Dickens himself pushed for international copyright protection, helping lay the groundwork for the Berne Convention. You can also see this in the UK’s long line of inventors, creators and institutions. James Watt and the steam engine. The electric telegraph. British brands and content that have travelled the world. Growing up far away, British cultural touchpoints were everywhere. As a child, I remember Ladybird books, Cadbury chocolates, New Order singles and Sunday mornings shaped by English football. This broad understanding of IP – touching technology, brands, culture and daily life – is what the UK contributed to the world of IP. What made this visit compelling was how different engagements kept converging on the same deeper questions – at International Trademark Association (INTA), with Intellectual Property Office UK, at 10 Downing Street, with the IP Federation and in discussions with the English Premier League and FIFA (timely given this year's World IP Day theme, IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate). The conversations kept returning to the same point: IP can no longer be seen only as a legal framework. It must be understood as a business and financial asset as well as a catalyst for jobs, competitiveness, wealth and prosperity. Enforcement was a consistent thread throughout because the integrity of the IP system depends on it. Moreover, discussions touched on how IP-rich businesses can better translate intangible assets into recognized financial value. We agreed that for startups and SMEs in particular, better approaches to IP valuation and stronger pathways to IP-backed finance will be essential if innovation is to scale. Another recurring theme was evolution. AI is reshaping the way we innovate and create, and the challenge is to ensure that IP remains relevant. That also means ensuring that the global IP infrastructure continues to evolve. That is why we are committed to modernizing WIPO’s global IP services, which is essential to ensure they remain accessible, efficient and fit for creators, innovators and businesses of all sizes. My discussions all pointed to the same reality: IP is no longer at the margins of the economy. It is increasingly at its center. I leave London encouraged by the depth of conversations around INTA, the strength of WIPO’s engagement with UKIPO and global stakeholders. We look forward to working with the UK to continue making IP one of the key drivers of the modern world. Photos: UK Government; UKIPO; WIPO/Apercé #WIPO #UnitedKingdom #INTA2026

Yesterday – 26th April 2026 – was World IP Day. The first IP Day celebrations were in 2000, on the 30th anniversary of the WIPO Convention which came into force on 26th April 1970. Choosing the theme for IP Day can be quite challenging. Too narrow and it loses reach. Too broad and it loses focus. This year we chose IP and Sports because of the large number of major sports events, and also because sports is where there is a tremendous amount of IP but an equally tremendous level of ignorance about this. Over the past decade (2016 to 2025), more than 65,700 new sports-related patents, 1.25 million sports-related trademarks and 70,000 sports-related designs have been filed. (See link to report: https://lnkd.in/enYChke5) The value of sports broadcasts is also growing at over 6% each year, and will probably surpass $100 billion, driven by digital platforms such as streaming. All of these are creating huge problems in piracy and counterfeiting too. So whether it is the patenting of equipment, the trademarking of club logos, the protection of beautifully designed sportswear or the copyrighting of sports content, IP is everywhere in sports. This message is spreading as you can see in the video below, a gift from our friends at the International Olympic Committee – IOC. Pau Gasol – NBA Hall of Famer, three-time Olympic medalist for Spain and Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission – explains how IP creates revenue streams to support Olympic athletes, from global broadcasting and iconic branding to partnerships, memorabilia and storytelling. To help our Member States better address all of the issues connected with IP and Sports – we have set up an IP and Sports team. Beyond the usual advisory and support work, we are also piloting interesting projects to help athletes and sporting associations understand IP. Our partnership with global sports bodies like IOC are crucial to these efforts. Join us in celebrating IP and Sports not just on World IP Day, but throughout the year as we tell the remarkable stories of not just athletes, sportspersons and champions, but also how IP helps them to succeed. And for those of you who are already looking forward to World IP Day 2027, I welcome you to share ideas on what the theme for 2027 could be. Share your thoughts below! More: https://www.wipo.int/ipday #WorldIPday #WIPO #IntellectualProperty #Olympics

I often say that intangible assets such as IP, know-how, software and data are the dark matter of the global economy: hard to see, but with enormous gravity. That’s why it’s important to better understand intangibles – and innovation more generally – as enterprises and countries shift from machine and muscle to innovation and IP as their primary driver of growth and competitive advantage. Our latest data on intangibles, generated with Brand Finance, shows that the global value of corporate intangibles in 2025 was almost $100 trillion, a figure that has grown 16x over the past 30 years. While this figure is certainly eye-catching, the report is only one facet of our broader work documenting the sources and effects of innovation, with the goal of generating insights that our Member States and other stakeholders can use to develop healthier, stronger IP and innovation ecosystems. One new initiative we unveiled recently is the “Innovation Capabilities Outlook” (ICO) series, created in collaboration with the Harvard Growth Lab. This report analyzes billions of data points to identify countries’ science, technology, entrepreneurship and production capabilities. The ICO report shows that the most successful innovation ecosystems thrive through connection and diversification – creating linkages between different innovation sectors and having the ability to be active in a broad range of innovation sectors. We hope the report allows policy and decision makers to concretely identify gaps and find opportunities to boost their innovation ecosystem. The ICO joins our WIPO Global Innovation Index, the World Intellectual Property Report, the World Intangible Investment Highlights, the World Intellectual Property Indicators Report, as well as patent landscaping and other analytical studies or databases that explore IP and innovation from different perspectives. Together, these assets give those in government, academia or industry a rich and growing set of data and insights into the dynamic world of IP and innovation. The intangible assets and ICO reports can be accessed here (Corporate intangibles): https://lnkd.in/gCpH4AVf (ICO report): https://lnkd.in/gdzY2qe4

I have been saying for some time now that three engines are driving innovation. The long-established engine of industrial innovation (think machines), the ascendant engine of digital innovation (think software) and the emerging engine of cultural or creative innovation (think content). Sectors like the video games industry – where hardware, software and storytelling are inseparable – are where this can clearly be seen. But even in “traditional industries” e.g. cars, all three are beginning to converge. Modern cars are increasingly a combination of an engine and functions driven by software, with consoles that also serve as entertainment centers. Countries and companies that can combine all three will have a better chance of succeeding in the innovation space. This theme has been cropping up with greater frequency in my engagements for the past year and was one of the main themes in my discussions at the Boao Forum for Asia 2026 and in Beijing with leaders like Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang. The focus at the Boao Forum was itself more specifically on AI and digital technologies, with some discussions as well on how innovation can address global challenges like climate, water and poverty. Most participants saw AI as not just another “type of technology” but one that is transforming the very nature of innovation and creativity. Given that Boao has a large presence of enterprises, there was a natural tendency to zoom in on opportunities, but my reminder to all that the human creator and innovator needs to remain at the center of tech and our IP system resonated well with all. What was also interesting is that Hainan (host to the Boao Forum) is a tropical island, so the weather and vegetation reminded me a lot of Southeast Asia. In fact, Wenchang chicken, one of their specialties, is probably the ancestor of Hainanese Chicken Rice, which is probably the national dish of Singapore. The discussions at the provincial level therefore also touched on the use of IP to support food heritage, agriculture and traditional craft. Even though the range of topics covered was broad, it was not difficult to find elements intimately connected to IP and to ensure that conversations were not just theoretical and abstract, but also concrete and practical. Photos: Courtesy of Boao Forum for Asia Secretariat and Xinhua News Agency. #WIPO #China

We often talk about innovation happening everywhere, and that is indeed true – I have met my fair share of inventors and innovators who come from rural areas, often motivated by the need to solve backyard or community problems. But by and large, innovation happens in places where there is a critical concentration of people, and this is more likely in cities and urban areas. This trend will only grow as the world’s population moves to cities: the urban population crossed the 50% mark in 2007 and is estimated to reach 70% by 2050. At WIPO, we believe that creating a pro-innovation ecosystem with robust and vibrant IP practices shouldn’t be left to chance, but shaped through the right policies, practices and environment. While our work has been at the country level, and increasingly at the State or province level, we are seeing a stronger interest coming from the municipal level as well. To encourage cities to step up to the plate, we have just launched the “WIPO City of Innovation” award program, a new initiative that recognizes cities that demonstrate exceptional commitment to fostering innovation and creativity for their residents. Through this new program, we recognize city governments that make bold pledges to advance innovation and creativity in their communities. In return, we will provide a global platform to showcase their achievements and connect them to a growing international network of forward-looking cities. Please join us in this exciting new initiative: https://lnkd.in/efgwyKib – because innovation should not just be left to chance. #WIPO #WIPOCityofInnovation #IntellectualProperty #Innovation #UrbanInnovation

We tend to notice infrastructure only when it fails. When it works, it fades into the background, quietly enabling movement, exchange and progress. History offers lessons. Rail transport only achieved its full potential after the hard work of aligning tracks and gauges was done. Digital music scaled only after metadata and digital infrastructure allowed digital content to flow from creators to consumers. In both cases, the existence of the technology was not enough. The underlying infrastructure was also critical. This applies to AI as well. For it to achieve its potential and serve us well, issues like watermarking, identification and attribution, rights management and the technical mechanisms that allow systems to interact reliably need engagement and discussion by experts and stakeholders. This is why WIPO has just launched a new initiative called the AI Infrastructure Interchange (AIII). AIII is a technical space where creators, rightsholders, developers and experts can engage, discuss and work together. It will complement the other forums at WIPO where our 194 Member States meet more formally, supported by the WIPO Secretariat, to drive policy and set standards. To support AIII, a Technical Exchange Network of over 90 (and growing) experts from different countries and regions as well as disciplines has been convened. Its initial focus is a mapping exercise of existing copyright infrastructure alongside the technical challenges and opportunities emerging at the intersection of AI and copyright. This will help identify areas where further, targeted work is needed. I’d like to thank Morocco’s Minister for Digital Transition and Reform of the Administration Amal EL FALLAH - SEGHROUCHNI and Spain’s Minister for Culture Ernest Urtasun Domènech for their addresses at the launch event earlier this week and all the participants for their contributions. We look forward to the work in this area so that we can shine a light in this unseen but important area of work and offer our stakeholders and Member States yet another avenue to work together to shape the future of IP in the age of AI. More: https://lnkd.in/efXEtzRG Photos: WIPO/Berrod #WIPO #WIPOfrontierTech #AI #GenAI

Today, we took a big step forward in the protection of designs worldwide – Albania became the first country to join the Riyadh Design Law Treaty (RDLT). The RDLT is the 28th WIPO Treaty, and was adopted by consensus in November 2024 at a conference hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. The Treaty will enter into force three months after 15 countries ratify or accede to it. When that happens, the Treaty will benefit designers by streamlining and harmonizing administrative procedures, making it easier, faster and more affordable for designers and businesses to protect their designs and bring them to markets around the world. In the IP family, the power of patents and the glamor of trademarks often outshine the quiet charm of designs. But in reality, designs are becoming more important in today’s world, where aesthetics, beauty and form are increasingly important for market differentiation and the fundamental human desire for beauty. This is also an area of growth, especially in virtual design, where design related elements are not linked to a tangible or industrial product but in a virtual format e.g. Graphic User Interfaces. One of the problems is that “designs” can cover a very wide range of activity e.g. fashion, jewellery, appliances, furniture, cars, etc. And when we move away from the industrial context (which is where designs have their roots), we begin to approach artisanal and handicraft design. So the whole landscape is a lot more varied. But putting these challenges aside, recent data underlines the growing worldwide economic importance of design. In 2024, about 6.1 million design registrations were active worldwide, twice the level from a decade earlier. And investment in design across 25 high-income economies and India and Brazil exceeded US$800 billion in 2024, accounting for close to 10 percent of total investment in intangible assets. Notably, since the beginning of 2000, investment in design across advanced economies has been growing nearly two times as fast as investment in tangible assets, such as machinery, buildings and equipment. So, this new Treaty (when it comes into force) will add momentum to these trends by providing designers with stronger, faster, easier design protection across borders, creating economic and job growth while adding beauty to our lives. Thanks to Albania’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Innovation Olta Manjani, PhD for coming personally to WIPO to hand over Albania’s ratification document and to Albania for its leadership in unlocking the Treaty’s benefits, which I hope encourages many other Member States to join the RDLT as well. You can learn more about the RDLT’s benefits here: https://lnkd.in/eQRMjppN Photo: WIPO/Berrod

As part of WIPO’s work, we try to understand each country’s IP and innovation ecosystem. And sometimes it is quite hard to put a finger on why certain countries punch above their weight in the sheer number of game-changing inventions and brilliant scientists. Hungary is one such country. Just take a few examples. Tivadar Puskás invented the telephone exchange. Sándor Just and Franjo Hanaman developed the tungsten filament light bulb. Albert Szent-Györgyi discovered Vitamin C. László Bíró – the ballpoint pen. Dennis Gábor pioneered holography. John von Neumann, Edward Teller and Eugene Wigner are all legends of maths and physics. More recently, Katalin Karikó and Ferenc Krausz. A similar pattern appears in music, with greats like Ferenc Liszt, Béla Bartók, György Ligeti and Ernő Dohnányi. I have no scientific evidence for this, but I feel that places where there is mixture tend to be more stimulating and Hungary has been a crossroad of peoples and cultures for centuries. Even its language reflects this, one of the very rare in Europe belonging to the Uralic family rather than the Indo-European. The background to these reflections is the 130th anniversary of the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (Szellemi Tulajdon Nemzeti Hivatala – HIPO), which brought me to Budapest last week. HIPO has not only seen all these amazing inventions cross its Registries but is an example of a dynamic IP office, not just remaining a registry of IP rights, but evolving to become an innovation agency. It brought copyright under its roof in 2011 (not that common in Europe), and expanded its role to build IP awareness, provide IP services and was one of the four to found the Visegrad Patent Institute. Hungarians have also played a critical role at WIPO for decades, including Dr. Árpád Bogsch, who led WIPO for over 25 years from the 1970s to the 1990s. To celebrate this milestone, HIPO organized a conference on the theme: “From idea to value, from value to future.” I had the chance to reflect with heads of European IP offices on how their offices are no longer just passive recipients of IP applications, but increasingly shapers of innovation and creative ecosystems. Discussions also centered on the use of IP as a business and financial asset, and ensuring that IP connects with economy, finance, trade and competitiveness. I also met with the Budapest Stock Exchange to discuss a pilot on the disclosure and valuation of intangible assets as well as the senior management at Obuda University – a vibrant research university – where I was excited to learn about their plans for the commercialization of R&D. WIPO and HIPO will be working closely to continue supporting the extraordinary innovation and creative talent within Hungary. Photos: Balázs Mohai. #WIPO #Hungary

For decades, inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs have relied on WIPO’s Global IP Services to register and protect their IP in different markets. This makes us unique among UN agencies and it is our privilege – and responsibility – to ensure that our services are timely, customer-centered and of high quality. We have initiated many reforms in recent years, including streamlining business processes for greater efficiency, harnessing digital technologies like AI (which resulted in CHF 7M savings in translations), stepping up our marketing and CX and redesigning with the customer at the center: Our eMadrid system (launched last year) was co-created with over 1,000 customers. What is also interesting is that international IP filings through WIPO provide insights into global IP trends. So what does the data tell us? •︎ In 2025, international patent applications filed through the International Patent System (or PCT) grew for the second year in a row, reaching 275,900 filings (+0.7%). Digital communication continues to be the largest tech field in PCT filings, growing by more than 6% in 2025, while semiconductors recorded one of the fastest growth rates among major technology fields. No surprises here, as digital technologies have been driving innovation in recent years. This is also likely to continue as more economies and industries digitalize, boosted by the use and deployment of AI. •︎ Trademark activity continues to be in a holding pattern, with Madrid filings dipping slightly (-1.5%) to 64,150 applications. As with patents, sizeable demand for international trademark protection comes from the digital tech sector: Computer hardware and software and other electrical or electronic apparatus accounted for the largest share (10.8%) of the 2025 total. •︎ And in the Hague System for designs, we saw a record 28,588 designs published (+5.2%), with the largest shares in recording and communication equipment (13.2%), closely followed by means of transport (8.0%) and packages and containers (7.9%). The Hague System is less established than the PCT and Madrid Systems, so the higher growth rate is from a lower base of use. As designs become virtual and digital, and more countries join the Hague System, demand should continue growing. Lots more insights are available here: https://lnkd.in/eiDz9K36 Read this together with our GII report and the World Intellectual Property Indicators report to get richer insights into the state of global innovation. #WIPO #IntellectualProperty