The European Patent Office (EPO) and the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) have vowed to increase harmonisation and improve exchanges on data.
Yesterday, February 17, the EPO and Rospatent finalised the Biennial Cooperation Plan.
Under the plan, both organisations also agreed to promote the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) plan. The CPC is an initiative set up by the EPO and the US Patent and Trademark Office which aims to develop an internationally harmonised patent class system.
According to the EPO, the agreement lays the foundation for a formal memorandum of understanding to be signed by both parties in the near future, which will result in a faster processing of patent applications between the parties.
EPO president Benoit Battistelli said: “The biennial working plan that we have signed today gives us a strong framework on which to further build our cooperation.”
Grigory Ivliev, director of Rospatent, added: “For over twenty years our two offices have worked together and our continuing cooperation is now more assured than ever.”