Top of Notices Top of Notices   (391)  December 25, 2012 US PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE Print This Notice 1385 CNOG  2993 

PCT, International Applications Referenced Items (390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, 399, 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 409, 410)
(391)      The Federal Service on Intellectual Property, Patents &
            Trademarks of Russia to Act as International Searching
              Authority and International Preliminary Examining
             Authority for International Applications Received by
                 the United States Patent and Trademark Office

   The Federal Service on Intellectual Property, Patents & Trademarks of
Russia (Rospatent), effective January 10, 2012, may act as an International
Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority
(IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for international
applications filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
as a Receiving Office (RO/US), provided that the applications are submitted
in the English language and Rospatent is chosen as a competent authority by
the applicants of said applications.

   The USPTO will collect the search fees from the applicants, and will
transmit the search fees to Rospatent. The search fee for Rospatent acting as
an ISA for international applications received by the USPTO is $415 effective
January 10, 2012.1 Any other fees necessary for search or examination or
incidental thereto will be paid by applicants directly to Rospatent.

   All correspondence between Rospatent and the USPTO or the applicants will
be in English.

   With this addition, U.S. applicants may now elect the USPTO, the European
Patent Office (EPO)2, the Korean Intellectual Property Office, IP Australia3,
or Rospatent as the ISA or IPEA.

   The concluded agreement between the USPTO and Rospatent for the
establishment of Rospatent as an International Searching Authority and
International Preliminary Examining Authority follows.

April 11, 2012                                         MARGARET A. FOCARINO
                                                   Commissioner for Patents

1 The search fee will increase to $453 effective June 1, 2012.

2 The use of the EPO is restricted. The EPO will not act as an ISA for
  applications with one or more claims directed to a business method. For
  the definition of what the EPO considers to be precluded subject matter
  in the field of business methods, see PCT Applicant's Guide, Annexes D(EP),
  E(EP) and the Official Notices (PCT Gazette) dated May 6, 2010, page 94
  (http://www.wipo.int/pct/en/official_notices/index.html). The EPO will act
  as an IPEA only if it also acted as the ISA.

3 The use of IP Australia is restricted. IP Australia will not act as an ISA
  for applications with one or more claims directed to the fields of business
  methods or mechanical engineering or analogous fields of technology as
  defined by specified areas of the International Patent Classification
  the Official Gazette at 1337 O.G. 261 on December 23, 2008, in Annex A to
  the agreement between the USPTO and IP Australia. IP Australia will act as
  an IPEA only if it also acted as the ISA.

                                [1378 OG 162]