Hanoi, Vietnam – On 1 March 2023, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP Vietnam) and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) officially launched a pilot program of cooperation in searching and examining patent applications (Collaborative Search and Examination Program – CS&E Program). This CS&E Program is in addition to other accelerated programs in patent examination which IP Vietnam has been implementing, including the PPH pilot program with the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the PPH pilot program with Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and ASEAN Patent Examination Cooperation Program (ASPEC).

This is the first CS&E pilot agreement between the two offices to speed up the search and examination of patent applications for applicants in both countries. This pilot program will last for two years, i.e. the first year from 1 March 2023 to 28 February 2024 and the second year from 1 March 2024 to 28 February 2025.

The CS&E Program does not apply to utility solution applications. During the pilot period, the two offices will receive and process 20 CS&E requests per year from each applicant. Each applicant is allowed up to two (2) CS&E requests per month. Unused CS&E requests will roll over to the next month, but not more than four (4) CS&E requests in a month. To file a CS&E request, the following requirements need to be met:

• The application must be the first to be filed in Singapore or Vietnam, that is, it does not claim priority and is not a divisional application.
• The applicant must satisfy the requirement to have a representative/address in the country in accordance with the respective national law.
• The applicant must not file more than twenty (20) claims with no more than three (3) independent claims.
• The following documents are simultaneously required: a CS&E request, an application form, a patent specification, a request for substantive examination, a request for early publication, copies of documents of payment of fees and charges as prescribed. Such documents must be in the language accepted under the respective national law.

The CS&E Program offers a number of benefits to applicants including but not limited to: shortened examination duration, reduced application costs. The CS&E Program shows IP Vietnam’s efforts in clearing backlogs and delays in examining patent applications, shortening the waiting time for applicants and accordingly speeding up the substantive examination so that applicants can receive the results of substantive examination from IP Vietnam and IPOS soon.

For further information on the CS&E Program, please do not hesitate to contact us.