Amendments to Mexico’s Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property

On April 3^rd, 2026, the decree whereby various provisions of the Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property are amended, supplemented and repealed was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación).

The reform introduces significant changes to Mexico’s industrial property system, particularly in the areas of patents and innovation, trademarks, administrative infringements, and inclusive language. The key changes are outlined below:

1. Patents and innovation.

The reform not only introduces changes to patent prosecution, such as maximum timeframes for the resolution of applications, provisional patent applications, and greater procedural flexibility, but also reinforces the focus on innovation and technology transfer by assigning a more active role to the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial, “IMPI”) in promoting the productive use of knowledge and fostering coordination among inventors, companies, universities, and research centers.

1. Trademarks.

The reform introduces significant changes in trademark matters by establishing maximum timeframes for proceedings such as applications, renewals and license records, while at the same time expressly recognizing new types of marks, including position marks, motion marks and multimedia marks. It also expands the grounds for refusal, particularly with respect to signs linked to cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions,

which will require companies to undertake a more careful assessment of their branding and protection strategies.

1. Administrative infringements.

The catalogue of administrative infringements is expanded to sanction, among other conduct, the existence of an official sponsorship relationship between a distinctive sign and a public event. In addition, the reform makes clear that the infringing acts set out in the law will also be sanctionable when carried out through the use of artificial intelligence, thereby reinforcing the scope of the enforcement regime in the face of new forms of exploitation and misuse of protected assets.

1. Inclusive language.

In addition to the substantive changes, the reform adopts more inclusive drafting by moving away from wording framed exclusively in the masculine and replacing it with terms such as “person,” “holder,” or “applicant.” This is a meaningful legislative drafting and recognition update that helps the legal framework reflect more broadly and more accurately the persons who create, innovate, apply for and exercise industrial property rights.

Taken together, the reform points toward an industrial property system that is more agile, more inclusive, broader in scope and better aligned with the current challenges of innovation, protection and enforcement. Its provisions will enter into force once the corresponding decree is published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación). Said decree was published on April 3^rd, in the Official Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación), and its provisions entered into force the day following its publication.

At Cannizzo, we remain at your disposal to provide further information or advise on its proper implementation.

Yours sincerely,

Cannizzo