Article | BRPTO and CAS Collaborate for Enhanced Patent Examination Practices

In an endeavor toward advancing the efficiency of patent examination procedures, the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BRPTO) and the American Chemical Society’s Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) have signed a new technical cooperation agreement. Upon the promising results achieved within a prior agreement in 2020, the two entities now entered into a new pilot project, formalized on August 30, 2023.

The collaborative partnership between the BRPTO and CAS, established through this agreement, represents the commitment of both organizations toward innovation and streamlined intellectual property procedures. Motivated by a common purpose of enhancing the patent examination landscape, the collaboration’s primary objective is the development of a sophisticated search tool. The project is predicted to have a one-year duration, wherein, by means of CAS’s advanced scientific information solutions, the process of examining patent applications related to pharmaceutical products is expected to be significantly improved.

At the core of this collaboration lies CAS’s prior art search tool. This tool, developed through partnerships and data sharing with global patent offices, empowers examiners to conduct in-depth searches within a vast data base of chemical substances. By employing innovative techniques such as similarity scoring, workflow classification, and knowledge exploration, the tool efficiently identifies pertinent prior techniques and information. This strategic approach not only expedites the examination process but also ensures a thorough analysis of patent applications.

Under the terms of the agreement, CAS will select classifications of interest, specifically to encompass patent applications relating to novel pharmaceutical compounds. In reciprocation, the BRPTO provides a list of priority patent applications, aligning with CAS’s specified categories. The collaborative effort culminates in the production of comprehensive reports by CAS. These reports serve as invaluable resources, aiding BRPTO’s examiners in their assessments by providing a robust foundation of prior art knowledge and relevant information.

The gains of this collaboration are promising for Brazil’s intellectual property scheme. Supported by CAS’s tools and methodologies, BPTO foresees a notable improvement in the quality and efficiency of its patent examination procedures. The timely identification of relevant prior art not only expedites the approval process for legitimate innovations but also potentially reduces the backlog of pending applications, a challenge to which the BRPTO has consistently devoted efforts to finding effective solutions.

In conclusion, by synergizing their expertise and resources, the BPTO and CAS are paving the way for progress in the patent examination process, especially in the pharmaceutical field. This innovative pilot project demonstrates the importance of collaborations in the development of new technological approaches within the intellectual property framework, benefiting entrepreneurs and society at large.

REFERENCES

(CAS applies AI-driven approach in collaboration with INPI Brazil to transform patent examinations, 2023) – https://www.cas.org/about/press-releases/cas-inpi-enhanced-examination-solution

(ACORDO DE COOPERAÇÃO TÉCNICA ENTRE O INSTITUTO NACIONAL DA PROPRIEDADE INDUSTRIAL (INPI) E A AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY (CAS), s.d.) –  https://www.gov.br/inpi/pt-br/servicos/patentes/tramite-prioritario/Documentos/04-cas_signature_only__assinado.pdf

(INPI realiza acordo de cooperação com a American Chemical Society, s.d.) –  https://www.gov.br/inpi/pt-br/central-de-conteudo/noticias/inpi-realiza-acordo-de-cooperacao-com-a-american-chemical-society

Author: Georgia Chicoski, Patent Specialist