Unprecedented Online Training for Foreign Patent Examiners
30 April 2013
Patent offices from Southeast Asia and Africa are benefiting from IP Australia’s Regional Patent Examination Training programme (RPET). Similar training has traditionally been provided in a face-to-face setting, but such approach does not provide the in-depth training necessary to meet global standards.
With e-learning, RPET is a competency-based programme for overseas patent examiners and is modelled on IP Australia’s approach to patent examination training.
Trainees will be assessed on their ability to examine patent applications to the standards required under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. For a maximum of two years, experienced Australian examiners will provide online one-onone training and support.
Examiners from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Kenya and the African Regional Intellectual Property Office are participating in the first round of RPET. They are expected to examine to the standards expected of their Australian counterparts when their programme is complete.
IP Australia has not launched a training program on such a scale in a decade. Representatives say the organization believes that helping IP offices to enhance examination standards will lead to better and consistently-granted IPRs. In other words, Australian exporters will have greater confidence in the validity and protection of their IPRs in foreign markets.
RPET is a significant activity of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Economic Cooperation Work Programme, which is funded by the Australian Government via AusAID. The World Intellectual Property Organization is also providing support for African participation in RPET.