Before starting the national or regional procedure for obtaining patent protection, the PCT system allows an applicant to assess the chances of getting patents in States Party to the PCT (156 states). The Eurasian Patent Office, which has been appointed as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) provides applicants with an expert opinion related to patentability since July 1, 2022.

The Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) performs a patent search on the PCT application and establishes a preliminary report on patentability of the invention. Based on the report, applicants can make changes to the application, adjust the claims at the next stages of the procedure in order to increase their chances of obtaining a patent. In the event of an unfavorable search result, the applicant may refrain from obtaining a patent, thus reducing his expenses, for example, on the payment of fees, translation of documents or the fees of patent attorneys in another country.

Since July 1, 2022, the EAPO has already received international applications filed with the EAPO as a receiving Office, in which the office is indicated as an ISA, from applicants from the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Belarus, as well as an international application for conducting international preliminary examination from an applicant from the Russian Federation.

To date, the EAPO has been recognized by the patent offices of six states as a competent ISA and IPEA.

— International cooperation in the field of IP is aimed at ensuring the effective protection of intellectual property rights for the benefit of applicants from all over the world and stimulating inventive activity. The EAPO adheres to the principle that the interests of right holders and researchers are an absolute priority. As an ISA, our Office offers them to conduct international search economically and efficiently. We are ready to provide our services to all interested parties, – said EAPO President Grigory Ivliev.