Patents: US and AU Patent Offices Launch Pilot Project on International Search and Examination Services
As part of a pilot program of USPTO to reduce the backlog of U.S. national patent applications the US and AU are trialing a new program.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and IP Australia, Australia's national patent office, has initiated a pilot project to test the feasibility of IP Australia performing search and examination services for the USPTO on international applications filed with the USPTO under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
The pilot, launched last week, is part of ongoing USPTO efforts to bring down the growing backlog of U.S. national patent applications waiting to be examined.
Each year, the USPTO receives nearly 50,000 PCT international applications in addition to over 350,000 national applications. The USPTO is testing whether, by having international applications processed elsewhere, it can dedicate more resources to examining the 600,000 national applications currently in the pipeline, with the goal of increasing productivity and enhancing quality.
Under the terms of the pilot project, IP Australia will process 100 PCT applications covering a wide range of technologies. The USPTO will review IP Australia's work to ensure that it meets USPTO standards for quality and accuracy.
| IP Australia Website | USPTO Website |
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