To encourage innovation and invention by women, relevant patent administrative authorities in the Taiwan region of China have announced the trial implementation of the "Accelerated Examination Program for Female Applicants of Invention Patents". This program will run for a one-year trial period starting July 1, 2025, aiming to provide eligible female inventors with a faster patent examination pathway.
The program stipulates that only invention patent applications where all applicants are natural persons qualify for accelerated examination. At least one applicant must be female, and this female applicant must also be one of the inventors. Eligible female applicants must meet the following requirements to apply for acceleration:
The application must be submitted personally by the eligible female natural person applicant.
Applicants with household registration in the Taiwan region of China must provide their ID number on the electronic application form; applicants of other statuses must submit additional documents proving their female identity.
The request must be submitted via the relevant authorities' electronic application system.
The application window is limited to the period after receiving notification from the authorities that substantive examination is imminent, but before receiving the first examination opinion notice.
During the one-year trial period, the program has a total cap of 50 accelerated examination applications. The monthly quota is structured as follows:
Months 1 & 2: Up to 5 applications per month.
From Month 3 onward: Up to 4 applications per month.
If the monthly quota is reached, applicants must reapply the following month.
Additionally, each female applicant is limited to a maximum of 5 accelerated applications throughout the trial period.
Applications meeting all eligibility criteria and requirements will undergo accelerated examination. The target is to issue the first examination opinion notice or a decision within 6 months from the date the acceleration request is filed. Applications deemed ineligible will be placed in the standard annual application queue for sequential examination, and the applicant will be notified accordingly.
Potential applicants should note that the relevant authorities in the region reserve the right to modify or terminate the program during the trial period based on actual review capacity. Applicants can refer to the "Q&A for the Accelerated Examination Program for Female Applicants of Invention Patents (Trial)" available on the authorities' official website for answers to common questions.
This initiative represents an effort by the region to promote female participation in innovation and invention and to shorten the patent grant cycle for eligible inventors. Interested parties are advised to pay close attention to the specific quota limitations and application timing requirements.
Source: https://www.tipo.gov.tw/tw/tipo1/799-34315.html
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