The Spanish Patent and Trademark Office, as part of its Modernization and Renewal Program, has adopted a series of measures aimed at helping individuals and companies protect their innovations.

These measures, included in the Plan for Reducing Administrative Costs, consist of eliminating the obligation of presenting, in triplicate, all documents that accompany applications for Patents and Utility Models: descriptions, claims, drawings and invention summary; and whereby this measure doesn't affect subsequent documentation (suspended process, modified application documents…).

Additionally, the following forms have been eliminated:

Patent Applications:

•  Form 3106 (The first page of the description). The summary shall be presented following claims, or figures, depending on the case.

Utility Model Applications:

•  Form 3204 (The first page of the description).

•  Form 3209 (Form for publication in the BOPI - Official Bulletin of Industrial Property). It's also no longer necessary to present miniatures destined for publication.

The adoption of these measures, as well as the incorporation of electronic patent and utility model applications in March of this year, clearly demonstrates the commitment on behalf of the SPTO towards electronic administration.

The process of computerizing procedures performed by the SPTO in 2009 will, on one side, contribute to reducing costs for both individuals as well as companies; and on the other, result in a considerable paper savings, as it will prevent the need to print some 130,000 pages per year. It will also reduce filed paper storage space by at least 60%.