Rospatent and USPTO Agreement Takes Effect

The agreement between the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent), under which Rospatent will serve as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for international applications received by the USPTO, took effect on January 10, 2012.

The USPTO and Rospatent signed the agreement at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) headquarters in Geneva on September 22, 2010.

According to the USPTO, the agreement is beneficial for the US applicants because the cost of search and examination will be lower and the process faster. A search carried out by Rospatent as the ISA will cost USD 415 (EUR 325). Applicants selecting Rospatent as the IPEA will pay a preliminary examination fee of USD 171 (EUR 134), as well as a handling fee of USD 219 (EUR 172). When the International Search Report (ISR) is not prepared by Rospatent, the fee will be USD 255 (EUR 200).