USPTO's 'Tiger Team' Joins WIPO's Global IP Assignment Platform Pilot Program

America's Innovation Agency, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), announced that it will participate in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)'s Global IP Assignment Platform (GIPAP) pilot program, according to a press release dated September 21, 2026. GIPAP is a centralized, standard platform for filing and tracking intellectual property assignments — the recordation of changes in ownership of patents, trademarks and industrial designs across jurisdictions.

'For years, rights holders have urged IP offices around the world to simplify and streamline IP assignment recordation practices,' said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director John A. Squires. 'This WIPO pilot project will help to determine whether this prototype platform — the result of several years of careful development — will be the answer to that call.'

Before agreeing to participate, the USPTO convened a cross-functional 'tiger team' to analyze the results of a WIPO feasibility study and to examine the GIPAP prototype. The team is co-led by Robin Evans, Deputy Commissioner for Patents, and Mary Critharis, the USPTO's Chief Policy Officer and Director of International Affairs. WIPO developed the pilot at the request of stakeholders to reduce the administrative burdens associated with recording IP assignments in different jurisdictions; after a feasibility study of the business, legal and IT requirements involved, WIPO invited IP offices in May 2026 to join the pilot. During this phase — designated 'Phase 2' — WIPO will work with a representative set of offices to develop and validate end-to-end workflows of the GIPAP prototype.

Director Squires added that 'the USPTO hopes that through its support and leadership in the process, Phase 2 of GIPAP can be expedited and will result in a more streamlined and effective assignment filing system for users of the global IP system, especially U.S. businesses, in support of their patent, trademark, and industrial design rights across the globe.' If validated, the platform could eventually cut the cost and complexity of recording a single assignment across multiple national offices.

Original Link: https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/news-updates/usptos-tiger-team-joins-wipos-global-ip-assignment-platform-pilot-program