IP5 Group Forges International Collaboration
Posted on Tue, Nov 01, 2011
The IP5 is a forum of the five largest patent and trademark offices in the world, established in 2007. The European Patent Office (EPO), Japan Patent Office (JPO), Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) are represented. Together, the offices receive over three quarters of the world's patent applications.
The IP5 was formed to address the specific issue of backlogged patents at the five offices. Application numbers have continued to rise across the globe in recent years, putting intense pressure on patent offices and causing a decline in turnaround times and overall patent quality.
The group's website defines the IP5's vision more specifically as "the elimination of unnecessary duplication of work among the IP5 Offices, the enhancement of patent examination efficiency and quality and guarantee of the stability of patent right." The efforts of the five offices to collaborate and focus on the root causes of low patent quality is a great step for a healthier IP system worldwide.
History of the IP5
The IP5 was preceded by bilateral, trilateral, and four-office agreements that have been active for decades. Most notable among these is the Trilateral group between IP5 members the EPO, USPTO, and JPO, which has been in collaboration since 1983 and today continues to push international cooperation between the three offices. The inclusion of KIPO and SIPO in forming the IP5 reflects the recent growth and high levels of innovation in both Korea and China.
In several meetings between 2007 and 2010 the heads of the IP5 offices came to agree on "Foundation Projects" and work groups. The Projects include initiatives to establish commonality among the five offices in application format, databasing, translation, and training. Responsibility for these and other objectives have been divided between three work groups. The IP5 will also continue the work done by the Trilateral Offices to promote the adoption of the PCT system, which calls for a common patent application for the world. Many of the IP5 objectives coincide with the objectives of the PCT system.
Global Collaboration
The improvements sought by the IP5 will help inventors and IP professionals everywhere. Since the five offices represent such a huge majority of the world's IP, any improvements accomplished by the group will have vast and lasting effects on patent quality for the world's innovators. Plus, collaboration between the offices not only means more efficient granting by their examiners, but also more open access to documents and data that can help Researchers and other IP professionals.
Outside of the IP5 offices, the World Intellectual Property Oraganization and regional groups of IP offices have been working together on collaborative projects such as the PCT system. The 140 countries that are now members of PCT are a testament to the efforts of the major offices, but also of the collaboration effort of smaller offices. As technology and the global economy tie countries closer together, the IP system must follow suit with cross-border collaboration, and the IP5 is leading the way.