IP5 Publish Catalogue of Differing Practices in Patent Examination
On 25 January 2012, the Catalogue of Differing Practices was published, providing information on differences in substantive patent examination practice relating in particular to claim interpretation, prior art, novelty, and inventive step at the IP5 Offices, namely, European Patent Office (EPO), Japan Patent Office (JPO), US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), and State Intellectual Property Office of the PRC (SIPO).
The Catalogue is regarded as an important step in the IP5's ongoing efforts toward work sharing and operational practice convergence. The reference document is available by clicking on Catalogue of Differing Practices.