In the coming days, multiple amendments to the Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property (and possibly a new Regulation), the Federal Copyright Law, and other Intellectual Property-related laws will come into effect in Mexico.
Today, I would like to highlight this brief yet significant reform, which has already been published in the Official Gazette (Diario Oficial de la Federación).
As of March 12, 2026, for new patent and utility model applications, IMPI examiners may only issue two substantive office actions to determine whether an application may or may not be granted.
Additionally, this reform introduces the possibility that, once the first substantive office action has been issued, IMPI examiners may propose a virtual meeting with applicants to analyze each case individually.
Why does this matter?
1. This change compels the Mexican Patent Office to considerably accelerate its processes — cutting the number of office actions in half — for granting or refusing patents in Mexico. In practice, several patent offices around the world experience significant delays (spanning multiple years) due to the absence of a cap on substantive office actions.
2. For international applications entering the Mexican national phase, this reform requires patent agents to coordinate closely with their clients to determine whether an application may be eligible for an accelerated grant procedure (PPH, PPG, and APG programs).
I will continue sharing further commentary on the upcoming changes to Mexico’s IP system in the coming days.
All the best!
