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Trilateral cooperation
Introduction
Recognising that they shared the same problems and goals, the European Patent Office (EPO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) set up a programme of trilateral co-operation in 1983. Today, the Trilateral Offices process the majority of all patent applications worldwide, including applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
Objectives/strategy
The Trilateral Offices strive to improve the efficiency of the global patent system.
Their long-term programme of co-operation is aimed at:
- solving common problems relating to the protection of industrial property rights;
- deepening awareness of the benefits of the patent system;
- harmonising practice at the three Offices;
- promoting the spread of advanced technology;
- exploiting the full potential of work performed by the other Trilateral Offices in search, examination, documentation and electronic tools.
Activities
The Trilateral Offices work in the following areas:
- automation projects;
- exchange of examiners and search reports;
- documentation;
- harmonisation of patent law and fee policy;
- information policy.
Milestones
The Trilateral Offices first collaborated by sharing know-how and establishing standards for exchanging data files. Next, they worked together to develop databases and systems for exploiting them. This gave rise to a new generation of information products and services, initially conceived for internal use but later disseminated to patent libraries and the general public, free of charge.
In 1999, the Trilateral Offices set up a data network known as TriNeT (Trilateral Network) to securely transfer priority data with each other and other patent authorities.
They then launched a File Wrapper Access (FWA) service, which provides the Offices with secure electronic access to each other's published files and helps them share work results.
A further development was the Priority Document eXchange (PDX) service, which enables each Trilateral Office to exchange priority documents with its partners via secure, electronic connections using the Trilateral Document Access (TDA) Web services.
Setting up an exchange programme has allowed patent examiners to learn from their counterparts at the other Offices.
Another milestone has been the project to harmonise classification, which includes more than 45 technical fields. Harmonising classification systems makes it possible to share the task of reclassification whenever revisions occur and promote standardised patent searches across all three Offices.
In future, the Trilateral Offices plan to organise joint technical co-operation seminars.
Regular events
- Trilateral Conference: once a year, the President of the EPO and the heads of the USPTO and JPO meet to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the following year;
- Trilateral Technical Meeting and Trilateral Pre-Conference: once a year;
- Various working group meetings on specific technical projects: throughout the year.
Contacts
Sophie Mangin
Trilateral
Co-ordinator
Tel. +49 89 2399 6798
Lise Farrell
Project Assistant
Tel. +49 89 2399
5102
Fax +49 89 2399
5239
Elke Zech
Project Assistant
Tel. +49 89 2399
5129