Patent Office Will Accept New Application Format
The US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), the European Patent Office (EPO), and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) agreed on a common patent application format (CAF), which is shown below.
The USPTO states that its rules and procedure are consistent with the CAF, and that while some of the requirements of the CAF go beyond what the USPTO requires, the USPTO will accept an application in the CAF. It is noteworthy that the CAF does not include U.S.-specific requirements and optional content, including (1) cross-reference to related applications, (2) a statement regarding federally sponsored research or development, and (3) the names of the parties to a joint research agreement. Items (1), (2), and (3) may still need to be included in an application that otherwise follows the CAF.
The EPO is planning to implement the CAF in the beginning of 2009 (paper, PDF and XML format will be accepted). The JPO is preparing for the introduction of the CAF in early 2009, except that the sequence listing is a separate part of the description, and that the request contains the number of the figure of the drawings which the applicant suggests should accompany the abstract are scheduled to be introduced in 2011.
ACCEPTABLE COMMON APPLICATION FORMAT FOR PATENT APPLICATIONS
Description
Title of Invention
Technical Field
Background Art
Summary of Invention
Technical Problem
Solution to Problem
Advantageous Effects of Invention
Brief Description of Drawings
Description of Embodiments
Examples
Industrial Applicability
Reference Signs List
Reference to Deposited Biological Material
Sequence Listing Free Text
Citation List
Patent Literature
Non Patent Literature
Claims
Abstract
Drawings
Sequence Listing
Notes:
