Filing of applications: +375 (17) 272 98 43
17 June 2020

EAPO representatives, as well as the representatives of certain countries and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) officials took part in a virtual meeting of WIPO Member States regional group coordinators.

The procedure for scrutiny of the EAPO application for appointment as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and an International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in the current restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was discussed during the informal meeting.

The participants made proposals on the possible procedure for the PCT Committee for Technical Cooperation with a view to giving its expert advice on the EAPO application to the PCT Assembly under the existing circumstances. Such a discussion was needed due to the lack of established WIPO decision-making procedure alternative to physical meetings and absence of consensus among countries and regional groups on the modalities of such a procedure.

At the request of the participants, WIPO will prepare and circulate to the Committee members a detailed description of the proposed procedure. Its discussion is scheduled for the next meeting in July this year.

Based on the EAPO materials.

Вверх