Obtaining international patent protection is important, but it can be difficult.
It typically involves duplication and redundancy with millions
of documents moving around the world. Protection of your inventions may be
inconsistent globally. What if there were a single portal where all involved could
easily view, monitor, and manage intellectual property around the world?
This concept -- a global dossier -- would save countless resources for patent
applicants and IP professionals worldwide.
The five largest IP offices -- the IP five --
are working to make global dossier a reality.
one that is envisioned to be expanded to IP offices outside of the IP five.
With input from IP five industry groups,
the World Intellectual Property Organization and
stakeholders all around the world, the IP five is developing the suite of services
needed for global dossier.
Dossier access is the first part of the working global dossier. It gives users
online access to the documents in the prosecution history of related
applications filed at participating offices
now you can save time searching
across patent families.
Application documents are available at your fingertips,
and you can access machine translated
documents in real time on your own -- saving time and money.
global patent quality is improved because examiners have access to more relevant prior art
earlier in the examination process and because Dossier Access allows for more
consistent patent application prosecution globally, it provides greater
predictability for patent applicants.
The ultimate goal of global dossier is to
allow applicants to file an application in multiple patent offices from a single portal,
reducing the burden and redundant processes associated with cross filing.
You'll be able to monitor and identify issues during prosecution across all
participating offices, allowing you to act more quickly as developments unfold.
The USPTO is in charge of evaluating the process needed to make this a reality.
We're exploring the ways sharing documents among participating offices
within today's IP 5 legal framework is feasible.
A mechanism that allows IP
offices to exchange prosecution-related documents could significantly reduce the
administrative burden on patent applicants.
You can help us implement Global Dossier.
Keep up-to-date about Global Dossier on our website where
you'll learn about the launch of new services. Use these services and share
your comments and suggestions about them, to help us develop a global dossier that
best serves you.