USPTO News: IP Australia Now Competent ISA for PCT Applications Received by USPTO

    By Sherri Oslick --

Applicants filing a PCT application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as the Receiving Office now have another option for their selection of an International Search Authority (ISA) -- IP Australia, the Australian Patent Office.  Previously, Applicants were limited to the USPTO, the European Patent Office (EPO), or the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO).

A PCT applicant filing through the USPTO may chose IP Australia as the ISA provided the following conditions are met:

• the application is submitted in the English language; and
• the application does not contain one or more claims relating to mechanical engineering or analogous fields of technology as defined by certain International Patent Classification classes.

The search fee for IP Australia acting as an ISA for international applications received by the USPTO is $1,514.  This is in comparison to $200 for KIPO acting as the ISA, $1,800 for the USPTO acting as the ISA, and $2,665 for the EPO acting as the ISA.

For additional information regarding this topic, please see:

• USPTO Notice regarding arrangement between IP Australia and USPTO