Collaborating for impact: EPO and IP Australia reach new milestones
Building on the success of their annual bilateral meeting in July, the EPO and IP Australia have further strengthened their co-operation. Only three months after the heads meeting in Munich, the two offices announced plans to launch a pilot programme under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) on 1 March 2026.
The pilot will allow Australian applicants to designate the EPO as their International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority (ISA/IPEA) for PCT applications.
By choosing the EPO as their ISA/IPEA, Australian applicants will gain a strategic advantage through fast, high-quality search reports and detailed written opinions that help accelerate the path towards European patent protection.
Co-operation drives progress in classification
Further progress has also been achieved in other strategic areas. To reflect IP Australia’s advanced status as a Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) partner office, the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2018 has been extended for four years. This will enable both offices to continue strengthening collaboration in patent classification and to prepare for the launch of new CPC services.
These milestones underline the long-standing value of the partnership between the EPO and IP Australia, and pave the way for continued collaboration.
