EPO and South Africa strengthen ties with MoU
The European Patent Office ( EPO) and South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission ( CIPC) have strengthened ties with the signing of a reinforced co-operation agreement.
The offices signed the memorandum of understanding at the EPO on Wednesday, June 27.
A bilateral co-operation agreement between the offices was first signed in 2017.
Benoît Battistelli, president of the EPO, said that the agreement represents a “milestone” for the office and testifies to the close partnership between the EPO and South Africa.
“We are very pleased and proud to have been selected as the preferred co-operation partner of the CIPC in supporting the further development of South Africa’s patent system in line with international best practice and for the benefit of our companies and inventors,” he explained.
Under the programme, the CIPC will be able to re-use search and examination results when granting national patents under its own legal framework, added Battistelli.
The programme will help European patent owners seeking to protect their inventions in the South African market. The CIPC will benefit from the agreement by establishing “substantive” search and examination of patent applications in line with South Africa’s new National IP Policy.
The EPO and the CIPC also agreed to co-operate on a study designed to make recommendations and proposals for the structural and legislative reforms required to implement the patent-related parts of the new policy.
As part of the agreement, the CIPC will also be able to access and search for reports and written opinions from the EPO, helping the South African office to ensure timely and cost-efficient patent examinations.
Rory Voller, CIPC commissioner, commented that the office is looking forward to forging a stronger partnership with the EPO.
“For us, it is important to build an accessible, robust and quality patent grant system that will instil confidence in our country and will ensure maximum benefits to the applications of South African patents and the people of South Africa.”
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