What is the agreement between the USPTO and INPADOC, and how does it benefit examiners?
The USPTO has a special agreement with the International Patent Documentation Center (INPADOC), which is now part of the European Patent Office. According to MPEP 901.07:
The Office enjoys cost effective rates for INPADOC due to an agreement between the Office and the International Patent Documentation Center (now part of the European Patent Office) negotiated several years ago.
This agreement provides several benefits to USPTO examiners:
- Cost-effective access to INPADOC database
- Efficient searches for publication dates and patent families
- Direct access to the INPADOC computer in Austria
It’s important to note that the agreement applies only to direct access of INPADOC and not through other commercial database systems. The MPEP clarifies: The agreement applies only to INPADOC as accessed directly on the INPADOC computer in Austria, not to INPADOC as available on other commercial database systems such as ORBIT, DIALOG, or STN.
To learn more: