Common Application Format

During the November 2007 Trilateral Conference, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the European Patent Office (EPO), and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) agreed on a common application format. This format, which was developed in consultation with users from the three regions, will simplify and streamline application filing requirements in each Office to allow applicants to prepare a single application in the common application format for acceptance in each of the three Offices.

Please click on the links below to view the basic principles and requirements of the format.

Example Format

The following is an example of a patent application format which complies with the Common Application Format. For legibility purposes, each heading is indented in this paper.

Description
        Title of Invention
        Technical Field
                0001
        Background Art
                0002
        Summary of Invention
                Technical Problem
                0003
                Solution to Problem
                0004
                0005
                Advantageous Effects of Invention
                0006
        Brief Description of Drawings
                0007
                        Fig. 1
                        Fig. 2
        Description of Embodiments
                0008
                Examples
                0009
                0010
                Example 1
                0011
                Example 2
                0012
        Industrial Applicability
                0013
        Reference Signs List
                0014
        Reference to Deposited Biological Material
                0015
        Sequence Listing Free Text
                0016
        Citation List
                Patent Literature
                0017
                Non Patent Literature
                0018
Claims
        Claim 1
        Claim 2
Abstract
Drawings
        Fig. 1
        Fig. 2
Sequence Listing

Current USPTO rules and procedure are consistent with the Common Application Format. While some of the requirements of the Common Application Format go beyond what the USPTO requires, the USPTO will accept an application in the Common Application Format.

Further information on the common application format and the implementation status of the common application format in each of the Trilateral Offices is available at http://www.trilateral.net/projects/pct/CAF.html.

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