USPTO Lowers Barriers To International IP Protection By Implementing WIPO Standard ST.26
By Godson Umejiego, Senior Correspondent, USA
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a final rule for submitting biological sequence data associated with disclosures of nucleotide and amino acid sequences in patent applications.
The rule incorporates by reference the provisions of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Standard ST.26.
This rulemaking requires an applicant to submit a single, internationally acceptable sequence listing in a language-neutral format using specified identifiers. The rule applies to international applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty and to national and regional applications filed in the intellectual property offices of WIPO member states, for filing dates on or after July 1, 2022. In addition to simplifying the process for applicants filing in multiple countries, a requirement to submit a single sequence listing in eXtensible Mark-up Language (XML) format will result in better preservation, accessibility, and searching of the submitted sequence data for the public.
The final rule will be effective July 1, 2022.
