In brief In recent years, intellectual property (IP) has become an increasingly important area of application for international sanctions. While sanctions have traditionally focused on restricting trade in goods, services, financial transactions and the movement of individuals, the scope has broadened to include intangible assets such as patents, trade secrets and software. This development reflects a growing recognition that IP rights are strategic assets that underpin critical technologies and industries. By restricting access to IP,…
On 1 June 2025, the revised Swiss Ordinance on Measures against Belarus (“Belarus Ordinance”) entered into force, thereby implementing the EU’s latest Belarus sanctions. These sanctions had been adopted alongside the EU’s 16th sanctions package against Russia on 24 February 2025, which Switzerland implemented on 15 May 2025 (see blog post here). With this revision of the Belarus Ordinance, Switzerland continues to align its sanctions regime against Belarus with the sanctions against Russia, thereby preventing…