Patent practice change - online filing facility for patent applications

28 November 2012

The Commissioner has released a note advising that IPONZ's new patent case management system being released on 10th December 2012 removes the need for users to submit additional patent forms as found in Schedule 2 of the Regulations where the information required, or the declaration or request being made, can be seen as equivalent.

To formalise this change, under Regulation 9 the Commissioner directs that the forms in Schedule 2 of the Regulations are modified to the extent that IPONZ's new case management system may be used in their place.

For example, from the 10th December 2012 a request for sealing and a request for postponement of acceptance are often filed together with a patent application. For the convenience of users, the online filing forms incorporate text or check boxes that may be completed or checked in order to make such declarations or requests, and in so far as these boxes are completed or checked at the time of online filing, the associated declaration or request is considered to have been made.

Read the practice note: Supplementary practice note - online filing facility for patent applications