The European Patent Office (EPO) and South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) have strengthened ties with the signing of a reinforced co-operation agreement. The offices signed the memorandum of understanding at the EPO on Wednesday, June 27. A bilateral co-operation agreement between the offices was first signed in 2017. Beno?t Battistelli, president of the EPO, said that the agreement represents a “milestone” for the office and testifies to the close partnership between the EPO and South Africa. Under the programme, the CIPC will be able to re-use search and examination results when granting national patents under its own legal framework, added Battistelli. The programme will help European patent owners seeking to protect their inventions in the South African market. The CIPC will benefit from the agreement by establishing “substantive” search and examination of patent applications in line with South Africa’s new National IP Policy. The EPO and the CIPC also agreed to co-operate on a study designed to make recommendations and proposals for the structural and legislative reforms required to implement the patent-related parts of the new policy. Rory Voller, CIPC commissioner, commented that the office is looking forward to forging a stronger partnership with the EPO.
Source:WIPR