To reflect the practical needs of patent examination, TIPO has added new examination criteria and notes to the Patent Examination Guidelines, which include two applications (invention and utility model) for the same creation, disclaimers, final notice limitations, and deposit of biological materials. TIPO hopes to enhance the quality of patent examinations by providing unified standards. Main revisions include the following:

 

I. Part II Chapter 3 “Patentability”

 

Additional paragraphs 5 and 6 have been added under “5.7.2 Notes for Examination” for when two applications (invention and utility model) are filed for the same creation. Specifically, it details examination principles for the invention application if – during the examination of the invention patent, or after approval but before invention published – the utility model application is invalidated but has yet to be final and binding.