Catalogue of Differing Practices at IP5 Offices Updated
The Catalogue of Differing Practices has recently updated and released by the five major IP offices (IP5 offices), namely, EPO (European Patent Office), JPO (Japan Patent Office), KIPO (Korean Intellectual Property Office), SIPO (State Intellectual Property Office of China), and USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office).
The 2012 update version of the catalogue identifies differences in patent examination practice at the IP5 offices from the following aspects: basis for claim interpretation, claim interpretation, prior art, novelty, and inventive step.
Catalogue of Differing Practices is part of an ongoing process to support work sharing and operational practice convergence between the participating IP offices.
