IPOPHL sustains capacity-building workshops in drive towards operating as ISA/IPEA by 2019

Japan Patent Office, a key partner

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), in partnership with the Japan Patent Office (JPO), recently wrapped up an intensive, two-week workshop in preparation for the IPOPHL to operate as an International Search Authority/International Preliminary Examination Authority (ISA/IPEA) by April 2019.

The training programs, undertaken through IPOPHL’s bilateral cooperation with JPO, were headed by  expert patent examiners from the latter office: Mr. Hirokazu Muta (Applied Organic Chemicals Division) and Mr. Satoshi Kishi (Optical Devices Division). The program took place from October 15 to 26, 2018

The first week of the program consisted of the training/workshop on substantive examination in the mechanical field, aimed to enhance and further develop the skills of patent examiners, which includes comparison with the practice and experience of examination of JPO.

The second week focused on the training course on ISA/IPEA competencies, where the experts shifted the focus from substantive examination to preparation of International Search Report/International Preliminary Report.

A comprehensive discussion of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) timeline, from International Search stage to the Preliminary Examination Stage, was thoroughly discussed by the experts taking into account all possible scenarios that may be encountered by patent examiners.  These include the filing of amendments in the specification and claims during the establishment of search reports and written opinion before its entry in the national phase.

The two-week training is in pursuit of IPOPHL’s vision of strengthening the protection of intellectual property rights in the Philippines by producing quality service both as an IP Office and as an ISA/IPEA by April 2019.