TIPO Announces New Measures for the Accelerated Examination Program for Re-examination of Invention

The “Accelerated Examination Program for Re-examination of Invention Patents (AEPRe)” was implemented starting September 1, 2024 on a trial basis. When requesting for re-examination, if an applicant amends or deletes claims rejected in the substantive examination and maintains other claims, TIPO may accelerate the re-examination, helping patent applicants secure patents faster.

There are two stages in the examination process for invention patents. If an application is rejected in the substantive examination stage, the applicant may request a re-examination. A re-examination invention case is eligible for the “Accelerated Examination Program for Re-examination of Invention Patents (AEPRe)” if it is amended by “deleting the rejected claims or by rewriting the non-rejected claims into independent claims,” aligning the patent scope with the scope approved during substantive examination.

In 2023, TIPO re-examined 6,538 invention patent applications. The average pendency for first office action and disposal was 10.1 months and 13.1 months, respectively. The AEPRe soft launched on September 1, 2024 is open to online applications, simple, and easy. Applicants filing an AEPRe application will receive an office action or written decision on the re-examination within six months. Evaluations from TIPO also indicate that applicants should receive decisions within two to three months, allowing applicants to secure patents faster.

links：https://www.tipo.gov.tw/tw/cp-85-977635-e7dc7-1.html

Source: TIPO