European Patent Office Delegation Visits CPA HK Office

On 1 November 2016, a five-member delegation from European Patent Office (EPO) leaded by Dr. Ingo Seelmann visited China Patent Agent (H.K.) Ltd. (CPA) and gave a seminar at CPA Hong Kong Office. The seminar was also participated via video conferencing by patent attorneys from Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai offices of our firm.

 

At the start of the seminar CPA Patent Application Department manager Mr. Ma Yongli extended a warm welcome to the delegation and made a brief introduction of our services and operations. Subsequently the delegates spoke respectively on topics of interest related to examination of chemical, biological, and pharmaceutical inventions. The Q&A session before the conclusion of the seminar afforded a further opportunity for CPA attorneys to learn more in depth from the examiners about issues including Early Certainty from Search (ECfS), patent granting under PCT Direct, main patentability criteria for polymorph inventions, as well as patentability of subject matters for pharmaceutical and biological inventions.

 

The visit allowed direct communication and promoted mutual understanding between CPA attorneys and EPO examiners, in particular in the aspects of operating models, work procedures, and practice strategies, which is conducive to consolidating the basis of our future cooperation.