WIPO CASE - Centralized Access to Search and Examination

The WIPO CASE system enables patent offices to securely share search and examination documentation related to patent applications in order to facilitate work sharing programs.

Many patent applications are filed in multiple offices and patent examiners can increase the efficiency and quality of their work by sharing their examination results.

The system was initially developed by the International Bureau in response to a request from the Vancouver Group offices (the patent offices of Australia, Canada and the UK). Based on their requirements, an initial system was deployed in 2011. The system was further enhanced during 2012 and is now operational for exchange of documents between examiners in the three offices.

Since June 1, 2015, any patent office may join the system by notifying the International Bureau that it is willing to participate according to the new terms and conditions PDF, framework provisions for the system. The office will choose whether it wishes to be a providing office or only an accessing office and technical choices need to be made for the exchange of documents between the office and the system. During a transition period, some offices are still participating according to the previous version of the terms and conditions PDF, framework provisions .

Access WIPO CASE

More about CASE

Description of the system

WIPO CASE provides a platform to share information with regards to search and examination reports among participating local intellectual property (IP) offices.

The objective of WIPO CASE is to improve the quality and efficiency of the patent search and examination process done at local and regional patent offices. Time taken for examination work can be reduced and quality of search results can be improved by sharing information. The local or regional patent office can carry out further search and examination work if deemed necessary after analyzing existing information of any equivalent filing at another participating patent office.

Consultative group

The WIPO CASE consultative group is made up of representatives of all participating offices. The consultative group is responsible for:

  • reviewing and approving technical specifications;
  • reviewing changes to the Terms and Conditions.

Dossier Linkage System

The IP5 Offices (Japan Patent Office, European Patent Office, Korean Intellectual Property Office, State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China and the United States Patent and Trademark Office) have developed the One Portal Dossier (OPD) which is a platform for the secure exchange of patent search and examination documentation (dossier information) between the IP5 Offices.

In a project led by the JPO, the OPD system was linked to WIPO CASE in 2014.  After a successful pilot, the linkage system was made available to all IP5 and all Offices participating in WIPO CASE so that dossier information can be easily exchanged between the two systems.

List of Offices

Offices can share their dossier information either directly through the WIPO CASE system or through the IP5 One Portal Dossier linkage system.

For offices which participate directly in WIPO CASE, there are two different levels of participation:

  • Accessing Office - Examiners at the accessing office have access to the WIPO CASE web portal and can use the system to search for patent applications at other participating offices and to retrieve the documents that are made available by those offices;
  • Providing Office - The providing office makes available the search and examination documentation for patent applications filed at that office. Technically, this may be done by uploading the documents into the WIPO CASE system hosted by WIPO, or by making the documents available to the WIPO CASE system via secure web services.

The following offices are sharing dossier information: 

Country Office Accessing Office Providing Office Notification
Australia IP Australia Yes Yes

Notification by IP Australia

Azerbaijan Industrial Property Examination Center (AzPatent) of the State Committee for Standardization, Metrology and Patent Yes No Notification by AZPatent
Brazil National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) Yes No Notification by INPI
Brunei Darussalam The Brunei Darussalem Intellectual Property Office (BruIPO) Yes Yes Notification by BruIPO
Cambodia Department of Industrial Property (DIP) Yes No

Notification by DIP Cambodia

Canada Canadian Intellectual Property Office Yes Yes

Notification by CIPO

Chile National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) Yes Yes Notification by INAPI
China China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) Yes Yes

Notification by CNIPA

Costa Rica Register of Industrial Property Yes No Notification by the Register of Industrial Property
Cuba Cuban Industrial Property Office (OCPI) Yes No Notification by the OCPI
Egypt Egyptian Patent Office Yes No Notification by the Register of Industrial Property
  Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO) Yes Yes Notification by EAPO
  European Patent Office (EPO) Yes Yes Notification by EPO
Finland Finnish Patent and Registration Office Yes No Notification by Finland
Germany German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) Yes Yes Notification from the DPMA
Georgia National Intellectual Property Centre of Georgia (SAKPATENT) Yes No Notification by SAKPATENTI
India Intellectual Property India Yes Yes Notifications by Intellectual Property India
Indonesia Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights (DGIPR) Yes No Notification by DGIPR
Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Intellectual Property Center (IPC)

Yes No Notification by IPC
Israel Israel Patent Office Yes Yes Notification by ILPO
Japan Japan Patent Office Yes Yes Notification by JPO
Lao People's Democratic Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) Yes No Notification by DIP
Malaysia Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) Yes No Notification by MyIPO
Mongolia Intellectual Property Office of Mongolia (IPOM) Yes No Following the request from IPOM in August 2013 and the review by the WIPO CASE Consultative Group, Mongolia is operating as an accessing office
New Zealand Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) Yes Yes Notification by IPONZ
Papua New Guinea Intellectual Property Office of Papua New Guinea Yes No Notification by IPOPNG
Peru

National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI)

Yes No Notification by INDECOPI
Portugal Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property Yes No Notification by the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property
Philippines Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Yes No Notification by IPOPHL
Republic of Korea Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) Yes Yes Notification by KIPO
Singapore Intellectual Property Office of Singapore Yes Yes Notification by IPOS
Spain Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM) Yes Yes Notification by OEPM
Thailand Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) Yes No Notification by DIP

Türkiye

Turkish Patent and Trademark Office (TURKPATENT) Yes No Notification by TURKPATENT
  International Bureau of WIPO No Yes Notification by WIPO
Ukraine Ukrainian Institute of Intellectual Property (Ukrpatent) Yes No Notification by Ukrpatent
United Kingdom The UK Patent Office Yes Yes Notification by UK Patent Office
United States of America United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Yes Yes Notification by USPTO
Uruguay National Directorate of Industrial Property Yes No Notification by DNPI
Viet Nam National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) Yes No Following the request from NOIP in August 2013 and the review by the WIPO CASE Consultative Group, Vietnam is operating as an accessing office

Related links

Patents

Reference

Global Cooperation