Peru launches scheme to fast-track green patent applications
IP office aims to cut processing times from four to five years to under 12 months with initiative | Applications must be classified in IPC Green Inventory.
The Peru IP Office has launched a programme to stimulate the green technology sector in the country by speeding up the processing of patents for sustainable innovations.
Peru’s National Institute for the Defence of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI) launched its ‘Accelerated Green Patents Programme’ on May 2, which is expected to cut patent processing times from the usual four to five years to around eight to 11 months for applicants that qualify.
To be eligible for the scheme, patent applications must be classified in the groups listed in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) International Patent Classification (IPC) Green Inventory.
Other requirements include that applications must have been published, the deadline for filing oppositions must have expired, and the payment for substantive examination made.
The programme will apply to patent applications for inventions and utility models filed from January 2, 2023, including PCT applications in the national phase and divisional applications.
Applicants must also submit a form explaining why the application belongs to the sectors of green, non-polluting or ecologically sustainable technologies.
‘Surge in patent applications’ expected
The simplified and speedier examination process is anticipated to encourage applicants to apply for patents in areas such as renewable energy, waste management, and energy efficiency, which would otherwise have been discouraged by the lengthy process.
Medalith Albarracin, head of the patent department at Barlaw—Barrera & Asociados, said: “The Accelerated Green Patents Programme is shaping up to be a far-reaching initiative to stimulate innovation in environmental technologies.
“We expect this to lead to a surge in patent applications targeting environmental challenges in Peru, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Peruvian companies in the global clean technology market. This, in turn, will directly contribute to the country’s sustainable economic and social growth.”
Other countries that have options to fast-track patents for green technologies include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK, and the US.
