Tuesday, December 29, 2015 Useful on-line PCT references

The WIPO recently published in their PCT Newsletter (Practical Advice) an overview of useful PCT on-line references.

We have slightly modified the list by separating the basic and advanced user resources, adding some extra references and including some comments. Our version is available here.

This is very useful for anyone wanting to learn more about PCT.

Thursday, July 16, 2015 EPO improves its procedures for maintaining the lists of professional representatives

Over the past couple of years, the EPO has been clarifying the procedures around maintaining the entries on the list of professional representatives (European Patent Attorneys), and the registration of associations.


The latest overview mentions:

• The Legal Division should be informed without delay of any changes
• Changes in nationality or business address are particularly important because they affect eligibility - both a business address in an EPC state and nationality of an EPC state are required, although an exemption from the nationality can be requested from the EPO.
• Requests for (re-)entry on, changes in or deletion must be sent in writing to the Legal Division 
• If the request is for (re-)entry, the original must be filed. All other requests can also be filed by facsimile or online. Requests filed by electronic mail only are not valid 

The recommended forms and further details on each procedure are not easy to find on the EPO website - they are only available via the search page to find a professional representative.

Wednesday, July 08, 2015 From 1 July 2015 - "PCT Direct" service available with EPO as ISA extended to other receiving offices

In the Official Journal of June 2015  (OJ EPO 2015, A51, "Notice from the European Patent Office dated 22 June 2015 concerning the processing by the EPO as International Searching Authority of informal comments on earlier search results ("PCT Direct")"), the EPO announced that, as of 1 July 2015, the PCT Direct service will be extended to the other receiving Offices than the EPO only.

Monday, July 06, 2015 Use the EPO to find out earlier what you have

Recently, the quality of patents issued by the EPO was rated excellent or very good by 62% of private practice patent attorneys and lawyers who use them, compared to less than 35% for the other major patent offices.

One of the reasons patent professionals rate the EPO so highly is the quality of their search and examination.

Their databases far exceed the PCT minimum documentation set, searching in many full-text patent applications, English abstracts of foreign patent applications and non-patent literature databases.

They also use state-of-the-art tools to search, and the search quality is the same whether it is a European direct filing or a PCT application.

So applicants get a very good idea what their application is worth at an early stage, before decisions on subsequent filings or national entries need to be made.

The EPO has an open system, so anyone world-wide can file a European patent application directly and request a search.

It is also possible for anyone world-wide to get an EPO search under PCT early in the international phase, by either:

• specifying the EPO to be the ISA (where permitted by the Receiving Office), or
• requesting a Supplementary International Search (SIS) at the EPO, or
• by using an Applicant-Of-Convenience when filing 

The EPO has also greatly improved its examination under PCT, providing a higher chance of a positive International Preliminary Report on Patentability before national entry is due.

Wednesday, July 01, 2015 From 1 July 2015 - possibility to waive the right to receive a further Rule 71(3) EPC communication (intention to grant)

When the Examining Division is willing to grant a European patent application, it sends an 'intention to grant' (Rule 71(3) communication) with the text intended for grant ('Druckexemplar'). Currently, applicants may respond by:

1. approving the text intended for grant,
2. disapproving the text intended for grant, or
3. disapproving the text currently intended for grant and filing amendments or corrections.

In the situation under 3, the Examining Division reviews the amendments or corrections and if it has no objections a second intention to grant is sent, such that the text on which the decision to grant will be based is unambiguously defined by a single document. Otherwise, it will resume the examination proceedings.
Since the introduction of this procedure in April 2012 the EPO has found that the issuance of a further intention to grant is not always efficient. In an effort to increase procedural efficiency it has introduced a new option for applicants: waiving the right to receive such a further intention to grant.

The waiver

The new option is designed to speed up the procedural steps in the granting process in cases where applicants are filing relatively simple amendments or corrections, that would not lead to resumption of the substantive examination proceedings (e.g. if they relate to mis-spelled words, use of incorrect words, incorrect reference drawings or the like).
The waiver makes it possible for the Examining Division to immediately consent to the amendments or corrections, without sending a new intention to grant. Instead, the Examining Division publishes a new EPO Form 2004W in the European Patent Register informing the applicant and the public of the allowance of the amendments or corrections. Subsequently the decision to grant the European patent is issued, and about one month later the mention of the grant is published in the European Patent Bulletin.

Friday, April 10, 2015 Only pay the invoices sent by your patent attorney

The problem of misleading invoices continues world-wide. The latest example detected by the WIPO is very convincing. They even use a very similar logo and give WIPO contact details at bottom: WORLD INTELLIGENT PROPERTY OFFICE

The only clue you have (apart from the name) is that the beneficiary is a bank in Bosnia & Herzogovenia (IBAN code begins with BA and 5-6th letters in SWIFT code are also BA).


Note:

• Patent offices do not charge separately for publication of the application - you pay for this when you file the application.
• These misleading invoices can appear 18 months after the earliest priority claim when application is published officially by the patent office with the names and addresses of all applicants and inventors
• If in doubt, contact either the patent office, or a patent attorney, or check the links below
• If you have appointed a patent attorney, all official communications from the patent office are sent to him/her

In many cases, payment of such an invoice is requested for a subscription to include your application in an on-line database. For example WORLD PATENT & TRADEMARK ASSOCIATION.
But all patent offices make the applications available to the public automatically if you pay the required fees on filing.

Other examples are here:

• WIPO/PCT database of misleading invoices
• EPO collection of misleading invoices
• DE Patent Office warnings company names (in German)
• CIPA (UK) list of scams and misleading invoices
• WIPO links to announcements by IP offices world wide
• List compiled by Fraudehelpdesk.nl (page in Dutch, but many examples are in English)

A good rule to remember is - only pay the invoices sent by your patent attorney
Photo:  © www.canstockphoto.com

Wednesday, April 01, 2015 From 1 April 2015 - PCT fees for EPO services have changed

A number of PCT fees are fixed in Swiss Francs.

To follow currency fluctuations, the WIPO recalculates every few months the equivalent amounts in other currencies, such as the Euro.




From 1 April 2015, the following amounts are to be paid to the EPO:

International filing fee: from EUR 1 097 to EUR 1 273

Fee per sheet in excess of 30: from EUR 12 to EUR 14

Reductions:

• electronic filing (request not in character-coded format): from EUR 82 to EUR 96
• electronic filing (request in character-coded format): from EUR 165 to EUR 191
• electronic filing (in character-coded format): from EUR 247 to EUR 287

Handling fee for the demand: from EUR 165 to EUR 191

The amount of the international filing fee payable is the amount applicable on the date of receipt of the international application by the EPO

The amount of the handling fee payable is the amount applicable on the date of payment
Photo:  © www.canstockphoto.com