Decree No. 2026-576 of June 30, 2026, published in the French Official Gazette on July 1, 2026, introduces several amendments to the French Intellectual Property Code. It forms part of a broader effort to harmonize, simplify, and modernize procedures before the French National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI).
The Decree entered into force on July 2, 2026. It notably affects procedures relating to patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, as well as certain methods of communication with the INPI.
Increased digitization of communications with the INPI
Notifications issued by the INPI are now sent exclusively by electronic means. Paper notifications have therefore been discontinued.
In practice, users receive an email informing them that a notification is available in their personal account on the INPI’s e-procedures portal. It is therefore important to ensure that the electronic contact information provided in the various INPI applications is accurate and up to date.
Enhanced protection of personal data
To strengthen the protection of personal data, the home addresses of individuals applying for industrial property rights will no longer be published or disclosed in industrial property registers or in the Official Bulletin of Industrial Property.
This change brings the rules applicable to industrial property rights closer to those already governing the French National Business Register.
Patents: several practical changes
The Decree introduces several significant changes relating to patents.
Eligibility for the fee reduction granted to small and medium-sized enterprises is now aligned with the European definition of an SME. Accordingly, for patent applications filed on or after July 2, 2026, the applicable employee threshold has been reduced from 1,000 to 250 employees.
The request for a fee reduction must also be submitted when the patent application is filed and must specify the relevant category, such as an SME or a nonprofit organization.
The rules governing fee refunds have also been amended. Most of the refunds previously provided for under the French Intellectual Property Code have been discontinued. An exception remains, in particular, for the search report fee where preparation of the search report has not yet begun.
The Decree also provides that patent abstracts may now be drafted by the INPI, rather than merely formatted by it.
The printing of patent specifications has also been discontinued, in line with the continued digitization of procedures.
Discontinuation of employee invention declaration envelopes
The INPI system for employee invention declaration envelopes has been discontinued.
Communications between an employee-inventor and the employer must therefore be handled directly between the parties, while ensuring that reliable evidence is retained showing the transmission and receipt of the relevant documents.
Trademarks: harmonization of certain time limits
In trademark matters, the period available to the INPI to issue certain decisions has been extended from three to four months.
This change notably applies to adversarial proceedings concerning oppositions, as well as applications for the invalidation or revocation of a trademark. It applies immediately, including to proceedings that were already pending on July 2, 2026.
The Decree also provides that certain trademark oppositions may be corrected where they would otherwise be found inadmissible, which was not previously possible.
Key takeaways
The Decree continues the modernization of procedures before the INPI, focusing on three main areas: the digitization of communications, the simplification of certain formalities, and the harmonization of several procedural rules.
These changes have practical consequences for applicants, rights holders, innovative companies, and intellectual property professionals, particularly with respect to patent filings, fee reductions, trademark proceedings, and the management of electronic notifications.
The IP TRUST team remains available to assist you with your industrial property matters and to answer any questions concerning these new provisions.
References
Decree No. 2026-576 of June 30, 2026, introducing various measures to harmonize, simplify, and modernize procedures before the French National Institute of Industrial Property.
INPI, “Publication of a Decree Simplifying the French Intellectual Property Code,” published on July 1, 2026.