1. Patent geography: Global applications, regional protection International developments at the EPO
Gerard Owens
International Co-operation
Bordeaux, 04 September 2017

2. Flow of patent applications between EPO and IP5 countries:
Europe exports more than it imports
Notes:
Analysis based on applications received by the five largest patent offices (IP5 offices) in 2016.
Source of the data: IP5 Statistics Report 2016

3. Regional Protection  International Harmonisation Europe is a model
European Patent Organisation Founded in 1973 Some 700 million inhabitants
Rep. of Moldova
European member states (38)
European extension states (2)
Validation states (2) Republic of Moldova
Morocco
Laos
Morocco
Future validation states (3) Tunisia
Cambodia
Laos
Cambodia
Tunisia
2016 has been a very good year for the European patent system
significant progress achieved in a number of key areas, ranging from the Unitary Patent to enhancing our performance, to strengthening the international role of the EPO;
Demand for European patents was sustained at a very high level, despite uncertain international developments in 2016;
Europe continues to be a leading target market for innovators from around the globe.
The number of countries recognising European patents continues to grow:
38 member states, including all EU Member States, covering some 650 million inhabitants;
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro as Extension States;
Morocco and the Republic of Moldova have agreed to recognise European patents;
Tunisia has already signed such an agreement and could implement it any time;
Cambodia became a validation state agreeing to recognise European patents on its territory, most probably as of July 2017;
A similar agreement is under discussion with Laos, and could still become a reality in 2017;
In 2016, the European patent system expanded beyond the immediate European neighbourhood – a clear proof of its growing attractiveness owing to its global orientation.

4. Balance between filings from Europe and abroad
Others 5%
48%
EPO member states
P.R. China 5%
S. Korea 4%
Non-European countries
52%
Japan 13%
United States 25%
Notes:
Analysis based on European patent applications (direct European patent applications filed at the EPO under the European Patent Convention, plus international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) filings which entered the European regional phase (becoming a European application) in the year under review)
Applications are allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant
EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28

5. Challenges for the EPO THE RESULTS IN 2016
Competitive international environment
Users’ expectations in terms of costs and timeliness
Consistent growth in demand for patents
Technically complex applications
THE RESULTS IN 2016
Our strategic priorities
+ Increase quality
+ Increase efficiency
+ Improve timeliness
+ Control costs

6. Reliable rights on time Challenges resolved faster
Speeding up our work processes
Know what’s ahead
Reliable rights on time
Challenges resolved faster
Search reports
6 months 1
Examination time
12 months 2
Opposition time
15 months 3
We deliver search reports within 6 months of receipt.
We are reducing examination times to just 12 months on average by 2020.
We aim to conclude oppositions to newly granted patents in just 15 months on average.
Actual Search timeliness
4.9 months
Actual Examination timeliness
22.6 months
Actual duration of oppositions
23.7 months

7. Continuously improving quality – Our first priority
ISO CERTIFICATION to safeguard the quality of our processes
CONSULTING WITH USERS around the globe: “Partnership for Quality” meetings with users in Europe, US, Japan, China and Korea
Global benchmark for quality
EPO ranked best patent office in every IAM survey since 2010
SACEPO SUB- GROUP ON QUALITY recently created with the objective to set a permanent and high-level forum to discuss quality related matters with users
RELIABLE MONITORING 96% of respondents are “very satisfied, satisfied, average satisfied” (EPO User Satisfaction Survey)

8. The EPO and the PCT EPO ranks 1st in the world as ISA and IPEA:
≈ International Search Reports (35,7%)
9 100 (63%) International Preliminary Examination Reports
EPO “exports” high quality in up to 152 PCT member states; EPO is designated as ISA and IPEA by 143 PCT member states
ISRs established in 2016 (%)

9. The EPO PPH pilot programmes
Fast track examination of applications
EPO work products can be used at other PPH Offices: IP5 + Australia (AU), Canada (CA), Colombia (CO), Mexico (MX), Singapore (SG) Israel (IL), Russia (RU), Philippines (PH), Malaysia (MY)
Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) later in 2017
Other PPH agreements (Argentina and Brazil) in preparation EP
Search and/or examination reports (incl. PCT) produced by EPO accelerate applications at: JP US KR CN CA IL MX SG AU CO RU PH MY
EAPO

10. EPO’s worldwide collection of Patent Information
Espacenet
over 100 million patent documents, over 90 jurisdictions
via epo.org
Easily searchable
Free of charge
Patent Translate
Automatic translation
between English and 31 other languages,
including Chinese,
Japanese, Korean
and Russian.

11. The EPO’s Global Dossier - seamlessly integrated into online services
USPTO file wrappers since 06/15
KIPO and JPO file wrappers since 03/15
SIPO file wrappers since 06/14
WIPO (and CIPO) via WIPO CASE since 11/16
ESPACENET ACCESS AS WELL!

12. EPO: Launch of IP5 Global Dossier "Alerting"
EPO and SIPO have developed "RSS feeds" for each File Wrapper
< click >
EPO delivers first RSS for IP5 "Family"
< mouse over >
Provides Alert function for IP5 "Family" (EPO+SIPO)

13. Procedural patent harmonisation – IP5 PHEP
Unity of invention: EPO/SIPO
determination and application of unity of invention criteria
Citation of prior art: KIPO/USPTO
prior art disclosure requirements
Written description and sufficiency of disclosure: JPO
issues re enablement, sufficiency of disclosure, written description and claims

14. Procedural patent harmonisation – IP5 PHEP
Unity of invention EPO/SIPO
determination and application of unity of invention criteria
alignment of practices re international applications,
including applications entering regional/national phase (except USPTO)
benchmarking exercise
analyse practices also against the background of the Chapter 10 ISPE
consolidation of data contained in IP5 unity of invention report
case studies – 3 cycles: mechanics, electricity, chemistry
target gaps identified and consider measures towards alignment
support MIA work and share outcome of the PHEP study with the MIA
completion of work at IP5/PHEP level by end 2018

15. Artificial Intelligence
IP5 Offices address common topics to harmonise approach; e.g. Industry 4.0 / Internet of Things
Big Data
Artificial Intelligence
ANALYTICS
THINGS
PEOPLE
DATA
IoE

16. The EPO is prepared for Industry 4.0
Speeding up EPO’s work processes
Annual improvements to the Computer Implemented Inventions (CII) content of the Guidelines for Examination
Re-organisation of ICT area under one management team
Creation of specialised Industry 4.0 directorates and teams
Focus on CII training throughout the entire EPO operational area
Automated pre-search moving towards Artificial Intelligence 16

17. Status on progress of UP/UPC as of April 2017
Member states preparations (26 in total)
Ratification of the UPC Agreement -12 states have ratified so far:
Brexit:
in November 2016 the UK reaffirmed its intention to ratify
Preparations – Completed
The EPO is ready to deliver the Unitary Patent
The Unified Patent Court could start its operations during the 1st quarter of 2018
Austria
Finland
Malta
Belgium
France
Netherlands
Bulgaria
Italy
Portugal
Denmark
Luxembourg
Sweden

18. Thank you
for your attention!