Patent Law Treaty Webinar Attracts Participants from Eleven Countries

60 participants from eleven countries participated in a webinar on the Patent Law Treaty (PLT), which was organized by the WIPO Singapore Office and the Patents & Treaties Law Section of WIPO.

Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam were all represented. Around half of the participants were patent examiners, with others being IP office staff from international cooperation or policy sections.

Participants heard from WIPO experts who provided an overview of the PLT and the benefits that accession can bring member states, as well as outlining the assistance that WIPO can provide member states who are interested in acceding to the PLT.

Representatives from two PLT members from the Asia and Pacific region (Japan and Australia), were invited to deliver presentations as part of an experience sharing session. Mr. Yuki Shimizu, Director, Multilateral Policy Office, Japan Patent Office, presented how Japan had prepared for the accession to the PLT through revisions of its national law in several stages. He highlighted the importance of the provisions regarding restoration of rights.

Mr. Greg Powell, Acting Assistant General Manager, IP Australia, noted that the key motivation for Australia to join the PLT were the expected benefits for Australian applicants who intend to seek patent protection in foreign countries.

Feedback from the participants was positive with 92% expressing their satisfaction with the webinar and a 30% increase in the correct response to the technical survey questions.

The webinar was the second in a series of webinars the WIPO Singapore Office is organizing on accession to various WIPO administered treaties. The other webinars will cover the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks, the Budapest Treaty and the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement.