Kazakh IPO Introduces Fast-Track Examination for COVID-19-Related Patents

In December 2020, the Kazakh Intellectual Property Office started offering a fast-track patent examination procedure for inventions in the field of diagnostics, prevention and treatment of oncological diseases and infectious diseases which lead to the introduction of restrictive measures such as quarantine.

The fast-track patent examination, which must be requested by applicants, consists of the following:

• Expedited formal examination within ten business days;
• Expedited search within two months;
• Expedited substantive examination within three months.

While the standard procedure for obtaining a patent lasts just over a year, the fast-track procedure takes six months. At the same time, when the IPO sends requests or notifications to the applicant, the term of the fast-track examination is suspended until the IPO receives the necessary documents.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kazakh IPO has registered two COVID-19-related patents, for “Method of obtaining the inactivated vaccine for COVID-19 prophylaxis” and for the “SARS­CoV­2/KZ_Almaty/04.2020 strain of coronavirus used for the preparation of specific prophylaxis, laboratory diagnostics and evaluation of the effectiveness and biological safety of vaccines against coronavirus infection”.

Fast-track examination procedures are already available for inventions in the field of renewable energy, including solar and geothermal energy, hydropower, wind power, biomass, biogas and other fuels from organic waste.

By: Aliya Madiyarova and Dayana Auezova

For more information, please contact kazakhstan@petosevic.com.

Source: Zakon.kz news portal