IPOPHL and IP Australia fortify IPOPHL Patent Examiners' capacity and skills

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is doubling down on the capacity-building of its examiners at the Bureau of Patents, in preparation for its operation as an International Searching Authority / International Preliminary Examining Authority (ISA/IPEA). 

The IPOPHL jointly organised with IP Australia a 5-day training/workshop on Search and Substantive Examination of Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications, specific in the chemical field. 

The training/workshop is being conducted by Dr. Steven Charles Zammit, a patent examiner in the pharmaceutical field at IP Australia, from September 3 to 7. 

As many as 40 patent examiners in the Chemical field took part in the intensive, skills-training — levelling up from previous trainings on the different search databases, particularly in the advanced use of the STN Database in conducting structural search of chemical compounds. 

The STN Database is an in-depth source of a wide array of disclosed technical and scientific research such as journal literature, patents, structures, sequences, properties, and other data. Patent examiners consult and use several specialised databases in carrying out comprehensive patent search and examination, which in turn is a vital step in determining an invention’s patentability. 

The training with IP Australia is but one of many trainings slated for patent examiners as the Office prepares to receive patent applications as an ISA/IPEA.  IPOPHL Patent examiners are generally grouped into two IP specializations: the Chemical and the Mechanical field. At least six more trainings on other fields, namely bio-technology, organic chemistry, chemical technology, agriculture, information and communication technology, electrical, civil and general engineering, and mechanical engineering, are slated by year-end.