Increased Patent Cooperation Between United States and Australia Continues

by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York

12 February 2007

Following an agreement reached late last month between the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and IP Australia, a project under which IP Australia provides search and examination services on international patent applications filed with the USPTO under provisions of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) will be extended from March 1.

This agreement is a continuation of the project launched between the two offices in 2005.

According to the USPTO:

"Cooperation on PCT search and examination work is part of the USPTO's ongoing efforts to improve examination efficiency and quality, while reducing the growing backlog of US national patent applications waiting to be examined. USPTO found that the quality and accuracy of the work done by IP Australia during phase one warrants extending the project and increasing the number of applications it processes."

In the coming phase of the project, IP Australia will process up to 1,200 PCT applications over the course of one year, covering a range of technologies.

"High quality and timely examination of patent applications advances science and technology and creates the certainty innovators need in capital driven markets," observed Jon Dudas, director of the USPTO, continuing:

"A growing backlog is detrimental to US innovation and the economy. This project builds on the long history of cooperation between the USPTO and IP Australia and gives us the ability to open another front in our battle to reduce our growing backlog."

IP Australia's Director General Ian Heath explained that IP Australia was pleased to sign up to a new phase of the project, announcing that:

"Participation in this project is a significant opportunity for IP Australia to move closer to its vision of being an office of choice and for enhancing its international reputation. It represents a further step towards achieving the goal of reducing re-work between offices and making mutual exploitation of work a reality for the ultimate benefit of Australian innovators and the IP system as a whole."

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