Electronic Filing of Patent Priority Document Promotes Cooperation between TIPO and JPO
Japan is likely to become the first country to reciprocally cooperate with Taiwan in the electronic filing of priority documents. The Chairwoman of the Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) noted that TIPO has already assigned a team to the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) to gather information about JPO's information system facilities. If the Japanese and Taiwanese systems are compatible, electronic cooperation will be considered.
Member countries of World Trade Organization (WTO) reciprocally recognize patent priority. Since paper documents of priority claims involve complicated technology, those documents are usually very heavy. International transportation of the paper documents wastes much time and money, therefore the United States, European Union and Japan recently began allowing electronic filing and claiming priorities; however, Taiwan has yet to confirm any reciprocal agreement related to electronic filing of priority documents, but we hope a successful Japanese electronic priority recognition will lead to further reciprocal agreements.
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