Office of the Administrator for External Affairs: Patent Worksharing

Mutual exploitation of search results will offer the USPTO an opportunity to rely on work performed by another Intellectual Property Office to the maximum extent practicable so as to reduce duplication of efforts and to decrease workload. Worksharing efforts also include engaging with other national patent offices to perform work on behalf of the USPTO so that efforts can be focused on reducing patent pendency.

Worksharing is part of an overall strategic program to promote global patent protection. Bilateral or multilateral activities are conducted in parallel with other initiatives such as substantive patent law harmonization and Patent Cooperation Treaty reform discussions within the World Intellectual Property Organization.

For more information, please refer to the following websites:

•  http://www.trilateral.net/projects/use_of_work_results/
•  http://www.uspto.gov/main/homepagenews/bak21dec2005.htm
•  http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/speeches/05-51.htm \