WIPO CASE - Centralized Access to Search and Examination
The WIPO CASE system enables patent offices to securely share search and examination documentation related to patent applications in order to facilitate work sharing programs.
Many patent applications are filed in multiple offices and patent examiners can increase the efficiency and quality of their work by sharing their examination results.
The system was initially developed by the International Bureau in response to a request from the Vancouver Group offices (the patent offices of Australia, Canada and the UK). Based on their requirements, an initial system was deployed in 2011. The system was further enhanced during 2012 and is now operational for exchange of documents between examiners in the three offices.
Since June 1, 2015, any patent office may join the system by notifying the International Bureau that it is willing to participate according to the new terms and conditions
More about CASE
Description of the system
WIPO CASE provides a platform to share information with regards to search and examination reports among participating local intellectual property (IP) offices.
The objective of WIPO CASE is to improve the quality and efficiency of the patent search and examination process done at local and regional patent offices. Time taken for examination work can be reduced and quality of search results can be improved by sharing information. The local or regional patent office can carry out further search and examination work if deemed necessary after analyzing existing information of any equivalent filing at another participating patent office.
Dossier Linkage System
The IP5 Offices (Japan Patent Office, European Patent Office, Korean Intellectual Property Office, State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China and the United States Patent and Trademark Office) have developed the One Portal Dossier (OPD) which is a platform for the secure exchange of patent search and examination documentation (dossier information) between the IP5 Offices.
In a project led by the JPO, the OPD system was linked to WIPO CASE in 2014. After a successful pilot, the linkage system was made available to all IP5 and all Offices participating in WIPO CASE so that dossier information can be easily exchanged between the two systems.
List of Offices
Offices can share their dossier information either directly through the WIPO CASE system or through the IP5 One Portal Dossier linkage system.
For offices which participate directly in WIPO CASE, there are two different levels of participation:
- Accessing Office - Examiners at the accessing office have access to the WIPO CASE web portal and can use the system to search for patent applications at other participating offices and to retrieve the documents that are made available by those offices;
- Providing Office - The providing office makes available the search and examination documentation for patent applications filed at that office. Technically, this may be done by uploading the documents into the WIPO CASE system hosted by WIPO, or by making the documents available to the WIPO CASE system via secure web services.
The following offices are sharing dossier information:
| Country | Office | Accessing Office | Providing Office | Notification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | IP Australia | Yes | Yes | |
| Azerbaijan | Industrial Property Examination Center (AzPatent) of the State Committee for Standardization, Metrology and Patent | Yes | No | Notification by AZPatent |
| Brazil | National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) | Yes | No | Notification by INPI |
| Brunei Darussalam | The Brunei Darussalem Intellectual Property Office (BruIPO) | Yes | Yes | Notification by BruIPO |
| Cambodia | Department of Industrial Property (DIP) | Yes | No | |
| Canada | Canadian Intellectual Property Office | Yes | Yes | |
| Chile | National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) | Yes | Yes | Notification by INAPI |
| China | China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) | Yes | Yes | |
| Costa Rica | Register of Industrial Property | Yes | No | Notification by the Register of Industrial Property |
| Cuba | Cuban Industrial Property Office (OCPI) | Yes | No | Notification by the OCPI |
| Egypt | Egyptian Patent Office | Yes | No | Notification by the Register of Industrial Property |
| Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO) | Yes | Yes | Notification by EAPO | |
| European Patent Office (EPO) | Yes | Yes | Notification by EPO | |
| Finland | Finnish Patent and Registration Office | Yes | No | Notification by Finland |
| Germany | German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) | Yes | Yes | Notification from the DPMA |
| Georgia | National Intellectual Property Centre of Georgia (SAKPATENT) | Yes | No | Notification by SAKPATENTI |
| India | Intellectual Property India | Yes | Yes | Notifications by Intellectual Property India |
| Indonesia | Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights (DGIPR) | Yes | No | Notification by DGIPR |
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | Intellectual Property Center (IPC) |
Yes | No | Notification by IPC |
| Israel | Israel Patent Office | Yes | Yes | Notification by ILPO |
| Japan | Japan Patent Office | Yes | Yes | Notification by JPO |
| Lao People's Democratic Republic | Lao People's Democratic Republic Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) | Yes | No | Notification by DIP |
| Malaysia | Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) | Yes | No | Notification by MyIPO |
| Mongolia | Intellectual Property Office of Mongolia (IPOM) | Yes | No | Following the request from IPOM in August 2013 and the review by the WIPO CASE Consultative Group, Mongolia is operating as an accessing office |
| New Zealand | Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) | Yes | Yes | Notification by IPONZ |
| Papua New Guinea | Intellectual Property Office of Papua New Guinea | Yes | No | Notification by IPOPNG |
| Peru | National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI) |
Yes | No | Notification by INDECOPI |
| Portugal | Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property | Yes | No | Notification by the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property |
| Philippines | Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) | Yes | No | Notification by IPOPHL |
| Republic of Korea | Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) | Yes | Yes | Notification by KIPO |
| Singapore | Intellectual Property Office of Singapore | Yes | Yes | Notification by IPOS |
| Spain | Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM) | Yes | Yes | Notification by OEPM |
| Thailand | Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) | Yes | No | Notification by DIP |
Türkiye |
Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TURKPATENT) | Yes | No | Notification by TURKPATENT |
| International Bureau of WIPO | No | Yes | Notification by WIPO | |
| Ukraine | Ukrainian Institute of Intellectual Property (Ukrpatent) | Yes | No | Notification by Ukrpatent |
| United Kingdom | The UK Patent Office | Yes | Yes | Notification by UK Patent Office |
| United States of America | United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) | Yes | Yes | Notification by USPTO |
| Uruguay | National Directorate of Industrial Property | Yes | No | Notification by DNPI |
| Viet Nam | National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) | Yes | No | Following the request from NOIP in August 2013 and the review by the WIPO CASE Consultative Group, Vietnam is operating as an accessing office |