Remarkable Progress in implementing “Accumulated Patent Application Cases Reduction Program” in 2012

 In 2012, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) carried out the “Accumulated Patent Application Cases Reduction Program” with remarkable progress. The total cases examined attained the goal set by the Executive Yuan (Cabinet), to reach 52,425 cases, an increase of 15,798 cases over 36,627 cases of 2011, to exceed 50,000 cases annually for the first time, with a growth rate of 43.13％.

   At the end of 2012, the total Invention Patent Application Cases pending examination reached 152,509 cases, a significant reduction of 7,970 cases, as compared with a total of 160,479 cases at the end of 2011. In other words, the number of cases examined annually exceeds that of application cases for substantial examination. The continuous 4-year increase of accumulated cases showed a decrease in 2012. In 2012, the accumulated cases pending examination showed a decline of 7,970 cases, as compared with increase of 17,523 cases, 13,045 cases, and 6,788 cases respectively in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Moreover, the examination period required declines from a peak of 47 months to 45.13 months, showing remarkable progress.

    In addition, the annual fee and certificate fee increase significantly. In 2012, the revenue of TIPO totaled NT$ 3,494,640,000, showing an increase of NT$ 214,490,000 over NT$ 3, 280,150,000 of 2011, with an increase rate of 6.54％.

    Since the Executive Yuan approved the “Accumulated Patent Application

Cases Reduction Program of TIPO of Ministry of Economic Affairs” in June of 2010, TIPO has implemented the following measures to raise the overall examination performance:

    1. With regard to enhanced manpower

       (1) Starting from 2010, utilize R&D substitute military service draftees to assist in patent search;

       (2) In March, 2012 hired additional 170 Patent Examiners of 5-year term;

       (3) In May, 2012, set up Patent Search Center to assist in patent search;

       (4) In January, 2013, formally hire and fill the vacancies of 39 Assistant Examiners.

    2. With regard to accelerated examination:

                    (1) Starting from 2010, implement the Accelerated Examination Program (AEP). Up to the end of December of 2012, for a total 4750 application cases, the approval rate reached 90％;

                    (2) In September 2011, signed the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program with USPTO of the United States. Up to the end of December of 2012, for a total 291 application cases, the approval rate reached 93％;

            (3) In May 2011, signed the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program with JPO of Japan. Up to the end of December of 2012, for a total 208 application cases, the approval rate reached 98％; and

            (4) On October 1, 2012, signed the “Joint Interview For Related Invention Application Cases” project, to facilitate the Industries to build a complete patent planning and strategy for the key technologies.

                  For the present year of 2013, TIPO will endeavor to raise the overall examination performance, while adding enhanced manpower to attain examination target, to increase the finished examination cases to over 60,000 annually. The present goal is that, up till the end of 2013, the case examination period will be shortened from the present 45.13 months to within 43 months, such that the application cases pending examination and the average examination period can be reduced annually. It is estimated that till 2016, the application cases pending examination can be reduced to 78,000 cases, while the average examination period can be shortened to about 22 months, thus being beneficial to the patent planning of the Industries, to raise momentum of the Industries.

(From: Ministry of Economic Affairs,R.O.C.)