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Tuesday, November 02, 2004

DK-PTO publishes Feasibility Study on Establishing a Joint Nordic PCT Authority.

The

Danish Patent- and Trade Mark Office has published

a study on the request of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The report investigates the possibility of establishing an enhanced Nordic cooperation based on the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT work), more specifically by establishing a Joint Nordic PCT Authority. From the conclusion section of the study:

"[...] The analysis[...]concludes that the Nordic NPOs will face a major challenge in maintaining (or even acquiring) a certain minimum volume of work, which would be a precondition for performing at the required level of quality and efficiency. This challenge is already a reality some offices (the Danish office in particular), and there are clear indications that the workload the other offices may also be decreasing. The number of applications to the Norwegian office be reduced drastically when Norway joins the EPC, just as was the case with the other Nordic offices.

The establishment of an NPI would, indeed, fully or partly counteract the impact of a decreasing workload. However, the possibility of reversing the downward trend in workload should also explored. Workload may be increased by performing work for other patent offices. The study has shown that there might be some possibilities here, and that an NPI would be an effective instrument in context. The "transfer" of PCT work under the partnership agreement is discussed in section 2.3.2 above. This is a highly political issue, and it is part of a strategy debate within the European Patent Organisation. One of the points made was, however, that the establishment of an NPI might offer key to a solution, since it would not increase the number of PCT authorities. [...]"

For gaining more context, see also

here and

here.

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