MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THE NATIONAL ......The objective of this Memorandum of Understanding...

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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE AND THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OF BRAZIL ON A PATENT PROSECUTION IDGHWAY PILOT PROGRAM The National Institute of Industrial Property of Brazil ("INPI") and the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO"), each an "Office", and together "the Offices", CONSIDERING the value and importance of work sharing between the Offices on corresponding patent applications; and CONSIDERING that work sharing between the Offices may serve as a driving force to improving patent quality and increase the examination efficiency of patent applications; HAVE REACHED A COMMON UNDERSTANDING AS FOLLOWS: Section 1 Objective The objective of this Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") is to continue cooperation between the Offices on a Patent Prosecution Highway ("USPTO-INPI PPH") Pilot Program, as contemplated in the June 30, 2015 Joint Statement between the United States Government and the Government of Brazil, and as commenced in a January 11, 2016 USPTO-INPI PPH Pilot Program, and temporarily extended by exchange of letters on January 5, 2018 and January 8, 2018 by the USPTO and INPI, respectively. Section 2 Eligible applications under the INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program Those applications that meet the criteria, conditions and limitations set forth in this MOU and defined in the Technical Guidelines are eligible to participate in the INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program. USPTONo. 18147002

Transcript of MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THE NATIONAL ......The objective of this Memorandum of Understanding...

  • MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

    BETWEEN

    THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

    AND

    THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OF BRAZIL

    ON

    A PATENT PROSECUTION IDGHWAY PILOT PROGRAM

    The National Institute of Industrial Property of Brazil ("INPI") and the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO"), each an "Office", and together "the Offices",

    CONSIDERING the value and importance of work sharing between the Offices on corresponding patent applications; and

    CONSIDERING that work sharing between the Offices may serve as a driving force to improving patent quality and increase the examination efficiency ofpatent applications;

    HAVE REACHED A COMMON UNDERSTANDING AS FOLLOWS:

    Section 1 Objective

    The objective of this Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") is to continue cooperation between the Offices on a Patent Prosecution Highway ("USPTO-INPI PPH") Pilot Program, as contemplated in the June 30, 2015 Joint Statement between the United States Government and the Government of Brazil, and as commenced in a January 11, 2016 USPTO-INPI PPH Pilot Program, and temporarily extended by exchange of letters on January 5, 2018 and January 8, 2018 by the USPTO and INPI, respectively.

    Section 2 Eligible applications under the INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program

    Those applications that meet the criteria, conditions and limitations set forth in this MOU and defined in the Technical Guidelines are eligible to participate in the INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program.

    USPTONo. 18147002

  • Section 3 Limitations

    Each Office intends to accept up to 200 applications to be processed under the INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program.

    As defined in the Technical Guidelines, each Office may limit the technical fields in which the applications may be eligible for the INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program and/or the number of PPH requests done by the same applicant.

    Section 4 Implementation

    Each Office intends to implement phase II of the USPTO-INPI PPH Pilot program in accordance with criteria determined by the Offices, as provided in the Technical Guidelines.

    Each Office may issue its own additional guidelines for the operation of the INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program, to reflect their respective legal terminology and processes. Such

    guidelines should be in line with this MOU and the Technical Guidelines and may be exchanged between the Offices before the launch of the new phase of the INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program.

    Section 5 Duration

    The phase II of the USPTO-INPI PPH Pilot Program should commence on May lOlh, 2018. The Offices should accept requests for the USPTO-INPI PPH Pilot Program for a period of two years ending on April 301h, 2020, or until each of the Offices has accepted 200

    applications under the program, whichever occurs first.

    The INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program may continue until the Offices have processed all of the applications accepted under the INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program.

    The Offices may suspend or discontinue the USPTO-INPI PPH Pilot Program for any reason and at any time. In such an event, the Offices should endeavor to issue a written notice to the

    other Office at least thirty (30) days prior to the date ofsuspension or discontinuance.

    This MOU may be extended for a defined period of time by mutual consent of the Offices through a written modification.

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  • Section 6 Evaluation and Modification

    The Offices may evaluate the USPTO-INPI PPH Pilot Program for efficiency, efficacy and effectiveness at any time throughout the duration of the program, in accordance with their own criteria.

    The Offices may exchange information on the interim results of the USPTO-INPI PPH Pilot Program at any time, in accordance with any mutually determined terms. This MOU may be subject to periodic review.

    The MOU may be modified by request of either Office by written mutual consent of both Offices.

    Section 7 Financial Resources

    The activities under this MOU should be subject to the availability of necessary financial and human resources. The Offices may exchange information regarding budget constraints which could have an impact on the implementation of the activities under this MOU.

    Each Office should be responsible for its own costs and expenses in carrying out any activities under the MOU. The Offices acknowledge that no funds may be transferred between the Offices under this MOU.

    Each Office may charge applicants for pa1ticipation in the INPI-USPTO PPH Pilot Program according to its own costs.

    Section 8 National Law and Regulations

    The intent of the MOU is solely to foster cooperation on activities of mutual interest. The . MOU is not intended to give rise to any legal obligations under international or domestic law. Patentability decisions remain within the sole discretion of each Office and according to applicable national law.

    Each Office intends to define how the earlier examination Office's work products should be relied upon.

    Section 9

    USPTO No. 15143095 3

  • Consultation

    The USPTO and INPI intend to resolve any differences which may arise regarding this MOU through consultations and negotiations.

    This MOU is signed in duplicate, in Portuguese and English languages.

    For the United States Patent and Trademark For the National Institute for Industrial

    Office Property

    Andrei IAN CU Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual ational Institute of

    Property and Director ofthe United States Patent and Trademark Office

    Date: 6/~l~_O/ [ Date: OL/ lacs I d.N~

  • MEMORANDO DE ENTENDIMENTO

    ENTRE

    0 INSTITUTO NATIONAL DA PROPRIEDADE INDUSTRIAL DO BRASIL

    E

    0 ESCRITORIO DE PATENTES E MARCAS DOS EUA

    SOBRE

    0 PROGRAMA PILOTO DE PATENT PROSSECUTION HIGHWAY (PPH)

    0 Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial do Brasil (INPI) e o Escrit6rio de Marcas e Patentes dos EUA (USPTO, do ingles United States Patent and Trademark Office), chamados individualmente de "Escrit6rio", e em conjunto de "os Escrit6rios",

    CONSIDERANDO o valor e a importancia do compartilhamento do trabalho entre os Escrit6rios, nos pedidos de patentes correspondentes; e

    CONSIDERANDO que o compartilharnento do trabalho entre os Escrit6rios pode servir como uma fors;a incentivadora para melhorar a qualidade das patentes e para aumentar a eficiencia no exame dos pedidos de patente;

    CHEGARAM A UM ENTENDIMENTO COMUM, CONFORME SEGUE:

    Se~ao 1 Objetivo

    0 objetivo deste Memoranda de Entendimento (MOU) ea continua9ao da coopera9ao entre os Escrit6rios em relas;ao ao Programa Pilato de Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH INPIUSPTO), confom1e contemplado em 30 de junho de 2015 na Declaras;ao Conjunta entre o govemo dos EUA e o governo do Brasil e iniciado no Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO em 11 de janeiro de 2016, e prorrogado temporariamente por troca de correspondencia em 5 de janeiro de 2018 e 8 dejaneiro de 2018 pelo USPTO e o INPI, respectivamente.

    Se~ao 2 Pedidos elegiveis no funbito do Programa Piloto PPH INPI- USPTO

    Os pedidos que atendam aos criterios, condis;oes e limita96es estabelecidos neste MOU e definidos nas Diretrizes Tecnicas serao elegiveis para participar do Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO.

    USPTO No. 18147002

  • Se~ao 3 Limita96es

    Cada Escrit6rio deve aceitar ate 200 pedidos para processamento no ambito do Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO.

    Conforme definido nas Diretrizes Tecnicas, cada Escrit6rio podera limitar os campos tecnicos dos pedidos que podem ser elegiveis no Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO e/ou o mimero de requerimentos de PPH feitos pelo mesmo requerente.

    Se~ao 4 lmplementa9ao

    Cada Escrit6rio deve implementar a Fase II do Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO, de acordo com os criterios definidos pelos Escrit6rios, conforme previsto nas Diretrizes Tecnicas.

    Cada Escrit6rio podera emitir suas pr6prias diretrizes adicionais para o funcionamento do Program.a Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO, de modo a refletir sua respectiva terminologia juridica e processos. Essas diretrizes devem estar em consonancia com este MOU e as Diretrizes Tecnicas e podem ser trocadas entre os Escrit6rios antes do lan9amento da nova fase do Program.a Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO.

    Se~ao 5 Dura9ao

    A Fase II do Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO deve come9ar no dia IO de maio de 2018. Os Escrit6rios devem aceitar pedidos para o Program.a Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO por um perlodo de dois anos, encerrando no dia 30 de abril de 2020, ou ate que cada um dos Escrit6rios tenha aceitado 200 pedidos no ambito do programa, o que ocorrer primeiro.

    0 Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO deve . continuar ate que os Escrit6rios tenham processado todos os pedidos aceitos no ambito do Program.a Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO.

    Os Escrit6rios poderao suspender ou descontinuar o Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO por qualquer razao e a qualquer tempo. Em tal eventualidade, o Escrit6rio empenhar-se-a em notificar, por escrito, o outro Escrit6rio, pelo menos, trinta (30) dias antes da data da suspensao ou descontinua9ao.

    Este MOU pode ser prorrogado por um periodo de tempo definido por consentimento mutuo dos Escrit6rios, por meio de uma modifica9ao por escrito.

    USPTONo.18147002 2

  • Se~io 6 Avaliac;:ao e modificac;:ao

    Os Escrit6rios poderao avaliar a eficiencia, eficacia e efetividade do Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO a qualquer tempo durante toda a durac;:ao do programa, de acordo com seus pr6prios criterios.

    Os Escrit6rios poderao trocar informac;:oes sobre os resultados intermediarios do Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO a qualquer tempo, segundo quaisquer termos que sejam mutualmente determinados. Este MOU pode estar sujeito a reavaliac;:oes peri6dicas.

    0 MOU podera ser modificado a pedido de qualquer um dos Escrit6rios, por consentimento mutuo por escrito de ambos os Escrit6rios.

    Se~io 7 Recursos financeiros

    As atividades em razao deste MOU estarao sujeitas a disponibilidade de recursos financeiros e humanos necessanos. Os Escrit6rios poderao trocar informac;:oes sobre restric;:oes orc;:amentarias que possam ter impacto na implementac;:ao das atividades no funbito deste MOU. Cada Escrit6rio deve ser responsavel por seus pr6prios custos e despesas na execuc;:ao de qualquer atividade desempenhada no ambito deste MOU. Os Escrit6rios reconhecem que nao havera transferencia de recursos financeiros entre os Escrit6rios no funbito deste MOU.

    Cada Escrit6rio podera cobrar pela candidatura no Programa Piloto PPH INPI-USPTO de acordo com suas pr6prias despesas.

    Se~io 8 Leise Regulamentos Nacionais

    0 objetivo deste MOU e apenas fomentar a cooperac;:ao nas atividades de interesse mutuo. 0 MOU nao tern a intenc;:ao de criar nenhuma obrigac;:ao legal segundo leis intemacionais e nacionais. As decisoes relativas a patenteabilidade permanecem dentro do poder discricionano de cada Escrit6rio e estao sujeitas as leis nacionais aplicaveis.

    Cada Escrit6rio definira como devem ser utilizados os resultados de trabalho do Escrit6rio de Primeiro Exame.

    Se~ao 9 Consul ta

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  • 0 USPTO e o INPI pretendem solucionar quaisquer diferen9as que venham a ocorrer em razao deste MOU por meio de consultas e negocia96es.

    0 presente MOU esta assinado em duplicata, em portugues e em ingles.

    Pelo Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Pelo Escrit6rio de Patentes e Marcas dos Industrial EUA

    stituto Nacional da ade Industrial

    da Propriedade Industrial

    Andrei IANCU

    Subsecretario de Comercio para Propriedade

    Intelectual e Diretor do

    Escrit6rio de Patentes e Marcas dos EUA

    Data: 5/4/AOJ~

    USPTO No. 18147002 4

    Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program_USPTO and INPI-Brazil_18147002_May 2018_English VersionPatent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program_USPTO and INPI-Brazil_18147002_May 2018_Portuguese Version