By Megan Aanstoos
“Innovative products alone are not sufficient to achieve [a] goal. It is equally essential to have a robust system in place to protect and manage […] brands consistently across global markets.”—APR legal team
In a global market, intellectual property (IP) management takes on additional layers of complexity. Innovators must consider which geographic markets are the best fit for their innovation. At the same time, they must be aware of political dynamics in those markets, as well as the legal and financial ramifications of filing for—and protecting—intellectual property across geographic borders.
The best way to navigate global IP strategies is with the assistance of an attorney or legal firm with connections in your areas of interest. However, it’s still important to understand the factors that will drive these strategies, especially as legal frameworks continue to shift and evolve. For instance, on April 3, 2026, Mexico enacted a set of patent law reforms that are changing every aspect of its IP landscape, including the introduction of provisional patent applications for the first time. Other changes include reduced prosecution timelines, updated oversight structures, and closer alignment with international best practices. As the second-largest economy in Latin America and a close partner of the United States, Mexico is an important market for global innovators to consider.
Another country with an evolving IP landscape is China. On a recent trip led by the Association for Technology Transfer Professionals (ATTP), I engaged in dialogues about increasing education for technology transfer professionals, shared experiences in innovation between Europe, Africa, the U.S., and China, and learned more about China’s rising global dominance in patent filings.
As a result of efforts to place intellectual property at the core of its national economic strategy, the country’s share of global patent publications increased from 45% in 2014 to 73% in 2024. While technology transfer professionals I met expressed a desire to increase partnerships and collaboration across geographic borders, currently 96% of the country’s filings remain domestic. This difference showcases the regional strategic priorities of the country relative to the U.S., Japan, or South Korea (the next largest countries for invention activity).
Another challenge to consider is market fit. Knowing your market and aligning your intellectual property strategy accordingly is vital for long-term success. Your geographic market may include your manufacturing base, your end-users, or regions where there is a clear gap that your innovation could fill. Because patents, trademarks, and copyrights must be registered in each country of interest, it is rarely feasible to protect your IP everywhere due to cost, time, and resource constraints. Companies should do their research and align IP filing with the most critical markets. When developing a global market strategy, consider both the markets you want to engage in and those where you would be comfortable not having protection if your products were replicated.
A third challenge is data protection and privacy. In 2018, Europe implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a privacy protection law that places limits on how individual data can be used, both in its original form and even de-identified for AI model development. China enacted a similar law, the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), in 2021. These frameworks signal a global shift toward tighter controls on how data is collected, stored, and used, particularly in emerging AI-driven technologies. Other countries have been strengthening regulations and enacting new privacy protection laws in response to the rise of big data and AI. Companies that rely on data should be aware of and plan for the legal requirements in the markets where they wish to engage. In addition to these privacy protection laws, cybersecurity and government oversight vary widely around the world. As a result, your innovation may have reduced function—or be completely inaccessible—in certain countries.
While global connections across the innovation world are stronger than ever, barriers to global innovation integration still exist. Being aware of these potential challenges and intentionally developing strategies to navigate them is key to creating products that will benefit people both in your country and around the world. When this is done with care, innovators can contribute to economic development and the advancement of humanity for the better.
Happy World Intellectual Property Day—go out, engage, innovate, and shape your world!
“Technology diffusion is the process by which new ideas spread from early inventors to widespread users, and shapes economic development.”—World Intellectual Property Organization
Megan Aanstoos is senior program officer at VentureWell.