Welcome to the December 2025 edition of “IP Five in 5,” your concise roundup of the latest top five intellectual property news stories.
Montana selected for new USPTO community engagement office location
The USPTO has selected Montana as the first location for its new community engagement offices, designed to support local and regional innovators. Based at Montana State University, the office will serve as an innovation hub connecting startups, universities, IP practitioners, and local ecosystems. The new office reflects the USPTO’s move toward agile, community-focused outreach and will broaden access to IP education, resources, and commercialization support for diverse inventor communities.
100 Years of WIPO’s International Design System: Celebrating Iconic Designs for the Age
WIPO marked the 100th anniversary of its international design protection system, celebrating a century of helping designers secure protection for iconic creations worldwide. The Hague System, established in 1925, now enables design registration in up to 99 countries, supporting international business and competitiveness. WIPO underscored the continuing importance of design rights in fostering innovation and economic growth across industries.
TMview Turns 15, Becomes World’s Largest Trade Mark Image Search System
TMview, the free online trademark search tool managed by the EUIPO, is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2025. It now connects over 136 million trademarks from around 80 countries, making it the largest trademark image search system in the world. The milestone reflects ongoing global collaboration and innovation in IP search tools that support businesses and rights holders with accessible, comprehensive trademark data.
New EU protection system of geographical indications for craft and industrial products goes live
The EU has launched a new GI protection system for craft and industrial products, enabling regional names to be protected across the EU for the first time. Extending beyond food, it covers products like textiles, glass, and ceramics to safeguard authenticity and local heritage. The EUIPO will manage registrations under a unified framework to support producers and combat counterfeiting.
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Copyright Spotlight
Adobe sued for allegedly misusing authors’ work in AI training
Adobe is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit in the U.S. after author Elizabeth Lyon alleged the company used copyrighted books without permission to train its AI language model SlimLM. The complaint claims the training data included unauthorized copies of Lyon’s works and other books, and seeks damages on behalf of affected authors. This marks the first major copyright infringement case targeting Adobe’s AI training practices amid a broader wave of similar legal actions against tech firms. Adobe has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
