By Christopher P. Singer --
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a press release on September 24, 2008 announcing that the Office had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) regarding a comprehensive plan on cooperative patent examination. The motivation behind this program is to increase patent quality and convenience for applicants in both countries.
The memorandum seeks to promote work-sharing between the USPTO and KIPO through harmonization of patent examination processes. Particular plans include establishing a common search database, developing a standardized patent classification system, establishing common examiner training, and increasing the use of prior examination results from the other office. The two patent offices plan to have several meetings later this year to start planning the implementation of these the cooperative projects.
Comments