EPO takes part in World IP Day celebrations in Portugal
Event on the impact of AI on IP to mark World Intellectual Property Day at the Lisbon Court of Appeal on 30 April. Photo by Emerson Coutinho
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On 30 April, EPO President António Campinos spoke at an event in Lisbon to mark World Intellectual Property Day. The event was jointly organised by the Lisbon Court of Appeal and Portugal’s Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and focused on the topic of the impact of AI on intellectual property. It brought together a broad range of Portuguese intellectual property stakeholders from academia, the judiciary and private practice.
The programme opened with remarks by Judge Carlos Castelo Branco, President of the Lisbon Court of Appeal, and Deputy Minister of Justice Gonçalo da Cunha Pires. The EPO President joined a roundtable discussion moderated by Judge Eleonora Viegas, with other contributors including WIPO Director General Daren Tang (via recorded video message), Luís Azevedo Mendes, Vice-President of the High Council for the Judiciary, Ana Bandeira, President of INPI’s Directive Council, Rui Cruz, Director of Intellectual Property Services at the Inspectorate-General for Cultural Activities (IGAC), and João Negrão, Executive Director of the EU Intellectual Property Office. Discussions explored how AI is reshaping IP systems, particularly in the area of patent search and examination, while maintaining human-centred decision-making.
In his remarks, the EPO President underlined the importance of AI development paired with robust IP protection for Europe’s competitiveness and innovation strategies. He noted that AI is increasingly being used by patent offices worldwide, while also raising important questions that will require legal clarity as the technology evolves, in order to provide certainty for inventors, users and the wider economy.
The President also outlined how the EPO is deploying AI across the patent-granting process to improve efficiency, quality, and timeliness, while ensuring its responsible and safe use. Human oversight remains key, with final decisions taken by experts, and safeguards in place to protect sensitive data.
EPO President speaking in a roundtable at World Intellectual Property Day event in Lisbon on 30 April. Photo by Emerson Coutinho
