Taiwan IP – Latest Developments

 By Lyndon 

¡@

TIPO issues Trial Program for Positive Patent Examination for New Industries

Beginning from January 1, 2021, a new program to assist applicants of new industries to evaluate the patentability of their inventions will be launched.  The Trial Program for Positive Patent Examination for new industries will be available for six months and the number of applicants will be capped at 30 trials.  The idea is to assist startup companies by providing close support such as an interview with the applicant, a search report concerning the novelty and inventive step of the application and a brief opinion about any issues and suggested solutions to give the application the best chance of success.  The applicant can then decide on whether to file an argument or an amendment within one month.  If the applicant does not file a response within that one month, the examination will be continued under the regular procedure.  By initiating this program, TIPO hopes to help fast-track new industry inventors with their applications as well as give advice on the ins and outs of the patent application process.

TIPO Announces New Measures for Interviews

For applicants who would like to have an interview with the examiner in regard to their patent application, TIPO has announced expedient measures for the duration of the Covid-19 epidemic and the resultant need for safety measures.  If the applicant cannot attend the interview in person, the patent attorney will be allowed to bring his or her own recording device to enable video-conferencing to take place at the interview location.  Thus, real-time communication between the applicant and the examiner can take place and any issues concerning the patent can be resolved without any delay.  TIPO hopes this will enable the patent prosecution to continue without unnecessary delays during this pandemic.

¡@