USPTO Adheres to Russian Sanctions By Terminating Engagements
Per guidance issued by the U.S. Department of State, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has terminated engagement with officials from Russia’s agency in charge of intellectual property, the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (commonly known as Rospatent), and with the Eurasian Patent Organization. The USPTO has also terminated engagement with officials from the national intellectual property office of Belarus.
Effective March 11, 2022, the USPTO will no longer grant requests to participate in the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) at the USPTO when such requests are based on work performed by Rospatent as an Office of Earlier Examination under the PPH. In addition, in pending cases in which, prior to March 11, 2022, the USPTO granted special status under the PPH to applications based on work performed by Rospatent, the USPTO will remove that status and return those applications to the regular processing and examination queue, meaning that they will no longer be treated as PPH applications at the USPTO.
The USPTO has advised the Japan Patent Office, which serves as the Secretariat for the PPH, of this decision.
Please contact me at silvia@salvadorilaw.com with questions or comments.
Silvia Salvadori, PhD
Please contact me at silvia@salvadorilaw.com with questions or comments.