The SPTO begins offering Digital Access Service for WIPO priority documents

As of October 1, and within its policy of decreasing costs, the SPTO began participating in Digital Access Services for WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) priority documents.

The aim of the digital access service is to try to lessen the bureaucratic burden and additional costs that applicants have to face when presenting certified copies in order to claim priority on a previous deposit.

Access to this free service is now available to applicants who present a national patent application starting from October 1, 2009 as part of the experimental first phase.

The service will allow applicants to make priority claims on a previous application by using a copy of a priority document introduced into a secure WIPO database.Moreover, the applicant will not have to provide a certified copy of the priority document to each one of the Patent Offices where he or she wants to extend protection and participate in the program, but rather simply offer an access number provided by the WIPO authorizing the request.