U.S. and Mexico Patent Offices to CollaborateJanuary 29, 2020

Yesterday, January 28,2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) signed an agreement which is expected to expedite issuance of patents in Mexico for owners of US patents.  The two agencies will now cooperate in a process that lets the IMPI have access to USPTO examination results for a Mexican patent application having a US counterpart application.  The objectives are to reduce the prosecution time and resources in the IMPI. 

The US and Mexican Patent Offices have been working together since 2011, including utilization of the Patent Prosecution Highway, a tool for expedited examination of related patent applications.  Now, patent applications filed in the US and then in Mexico will have accelerated examination in Mexico under the new work sharing arrangement.  This bilateral cooperation is a model for increased innovation contemplated by the recently signed US -Mexico-Canada agreement.

As stated by USPTO director Andrei Iancu, the USPTO seeks to have global collaboration for promotion and protection of intellectual property. 

Kirk Hartung is a patent attorney and chair of the mechanical and electrical practice group at McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC. For additional information please visit www.ipmvs.com or contact Kirk directly via email at kirk.hartung@ipmvs.com.

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