EPO and CNIPA unveil ‘historic’ new PCT scheme
Chinese patent applicants will soon be able to choose the European Patent Office (EPO) as their international searching authority (ISA), under a pilot scheme announced today, October 21.
Starting from December 1, Chinese applicants filing under the PCT can designate the EPO as their ISA and international preliminary examination authority (IPEA) for applications filed in English.
Under the PCT, ISAs are responsible for searching prior art and issuing an opinion on the patentability of an invention.
The EPO is the first office available for Chinese applicants to choose as an ISA other than the country’s own National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA).
The two-year pilot was announced by the EPO president António Campinos and Shen Changyu, commissioner of the CNIPA.
"This is a historic moment in our strategic cooperation with the CNIPA and, I believe, a sign of trust in the high quality of our work,” Campinos said.
The EPO is enormously proud to be the first office other than the CNIPA to be designated as an ISA for Chinese applicants and we are committed to providing the best possible service to applicants from China and worldwide,” the EPO president added.
The EPO and CNIPA have formed closer ties in recent years, particularly around the PCT and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A joint statement issued in June outlined measures adopted by both offices intended to grant relief to businesses struggling with the effects of economic shutdowns.
The pilot scheme announced today, meanwhile, follows through on a commitment made after a meeting between the EPO and CNIPA last November.
Shen said: “Chinese businesses consider IP protection to be a guarantee of core competitiveness and sustainable development. The PCT/ISA pilot programme is one of the important outcomes of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the CNIPA and the EPO and will help applicants to acquire IP protection in Europe.”
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