The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has recently become the ninth IP office recognised by WIPO as a Supplementary International Search Authority (SISA). IPOS is also the only SISA capable of searching a Chinese database in Chinese.
Benefits of the Supplementary International Search
The PCT Supplementary International Search (SIS) permits the applicant to request, in addition to the main international search conducted by the elected International Search Authority (ISA), one or more supplementary international searches by other ISA(s), i.e. by a SISA.
Requesting SIS can help reduce the risk of prior art being cited in the national phase and can identify prior art that may have not been found by the first ISA during the main search because of the diversity of prior art in different languages and different technical fields.
For example, requesting SIS through IPOS could be used to expand linguistic scope of a search into Chinese language prior art as IPOS is the only SIS capable of searching in Chinese. A SIS may also uncover additional prior art that has been updated in databases since the main search was conducted or that was not discovered by the elected ISA due to search engines or databases used by the elected ISA that differ from those used by the SISA.
It is also possible to have the SIS carried out by a SISA in a territory where the applicant likely intends to enter national phase to provide further insights and assessments. The SIS can help reduce the search fee payable in the National Phase Entry filing or prosecution.
Extension from 19 to 22 months to file a SIS request
The applicant now has 22 months (previously 19 months) from the priority date and after receiving the main search report to file a request for SIS with WIPO.
If you would like more information in regard to the Supplementary International Search, please don’t hesitate to contact us.