Trilateral Offices and Users Meeting 2014

On 9 April 2014, the Trilateral Offices (EPO, JPO, USPTO) met with Industry Trilateral for an exchange on topics of mutual interest. The discussions focused on users' input on the harmonisation of patent procedures.

The Trilateral Offices together with KIPO and SIPO are looking into procedural harmonisation to see what can be harmonised in the practice and procedures of the world's five biggest IP offices, the IP5. The Patent Harmonisation Experts Panel (PHEP) was set up within the IP5 co-operation to explore possible topics of procedural harmonisation.

In their meeting on 9 April, the Trilateral Offices and Industry Trilateral discussed a list of possible harmonisation topics relating to procedures and practices and agreed on priority topics for recommendation to the IP5 Offices. The Trilateral Offices confirmed their intention to keep future policies closely focussed on the needs of the user community.