http://www.wipo.int/pct/en/newslett/2018/article_0001.html
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New ISA and IPEA Agreements
It is recalled that the Assembly of the PCT Union (PCT Assembly), which was held in Geneva from 2 to 11 October 2017, extended the appointment of the International Searching Authorities (ISAs) and International Preliminary Examining Authorities (IPEAs) under the PCT until 31 December 2027. The PCT Assembly also approved the new texts of the Agreements with the International Bureau of WIPO in relation to the functioning of those Authorities as ISAs and IPEAs under the PCT. The new texts entered into force in respect of the Offices of the following States and intergovernmental organizations on 1 January 2018:
EP European Patent Organisation
In the case of the Australian Patent Office and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, the respective Governments were not able to complete the necessary domestic legal and constitutional procedures to ratify the new Agreements in relation to the functioning of their Offices as ISA and IPEA as from 1 January 2018. The Agreements between the IB and the Australian Patent Office and between the IB and the Canadian Commissioner for Patents as applicable prior to 1 January 2018 will therefore be extended for another year until 31 December 2018, or until the new Agreement relating to the functioning of those Offices as ISA and IPEA enters into force, whichever is sooner.
Note that some of the changes to the Agreements result in changes to Annexes C, D and E of the PCT Applicant’s Guide in relation to a number of ISAs and IPEAs – these are reflected below, under “PCT Information Update”.
The texts of the Agreements, including any amendments to the Annexes made since they were approved by the PCT Assembly, are now available, in English and French at:
http://www.wipo.int/pct/en/access/isa_ipea_agreements.html
http://www.wipo.int/pct/fr/access/isa_ipea_agreements.html