IP Bites – Asia and Middle East Intellectual Property Update

Welcome to the final issue of our IP newsletter for 2026!

This quarter's bulletin reflects the remarkable pace at which IP frameworks across Asia-Pacific and beyond are being reshaped, above all, by the rise of AI. From Japan's new principles-code for generative AI to public consultations in Singapore and Malaysia on how IP law should respond to AI, policymakers are grappling with questions that will define the next era of innovation. I was glad to have Yeung Kai join me for the webinar we presented to the Malaysian Intellectual Property Association in September on agentic AI and IP, and very much look forward to speaking at the Games Industry Law Summit On Tour in Porto this October. We hope you find this edition informative and welcome any discussion – see you at the Asian Patent Attorneys Association’s (APAA) annual meeting in Hong Kong from 29 November to 2 December!

- Sher Hann Chua, Counsel (England & Wales), Registered Foreign Lawyer, Hong Kong SAR