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EPO and IP Australia to launch PCT pilot programme starting 1 March 2026
Release Time：
2026-01-20
The President of the European Patent Office (EPO), António Campinos, and the Director General of IP Australia, Michael Schwager, today announced that under a two-year pilot programme starting on 1 March 2026, Australian applicants will be able to designate the EPO as their International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
The programme will be open to applicants filing their international applications either with IP Australia or with the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization as Receiving Office.
EPO President Campinos said: “This marks a significant milestone in our close collaboration with IP Australia and reflects the trust placed in the quality of our work. The EPO takes great pride in being appointed as an ISA for Australian applicants. We remain fully committed to delivering the highest standards of service to innovators from Australia and around the world.”
IP Australia Director General Schwager said: “Australia’s IP system plays a crucial role in making the economy more productive, resilient and sustainable. The PCT/ISA pilot programme is an important development in our wide-ranging partnership with the EPO, and aims to provide choice for Australian customers in their journey to protect their inventions.”
By choosing the EPO as their ISA, Australian applicants can benefit from an accelerated route to high-quality European patent protection. With an international search report from the EPO, these applicants can bypass the supplementary search when entering the European regional phase, saving time and cost. They will also receive a 75% reduction in European regional phase examination fees if they requested international preliminary examination under PCT Chapter II with the EPO.
The EPO’s international search report provides a solid basis for taking informed decisions on whether to enter the European phase and national phases before other offices. Once granted, a European patent can be validated in all 39 EPO member states and in seven additional extension or validation states. As an alternative or in addition to validating the European patent in individual countries, the patent proprietor can request unitary effect, resulting in a Unitary Patent that provides uniform patent protection in 18 EU Member States.
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