6.6.1 Introduction

Also in this Chapter:​​​​​​​

• 6.6.2 Completion Time and Priority

• 6.6.3 Initial Processing

• 6.6.4 Search Procedure

• 6.6.5 Search Report

• 6.6.6 Final Processing

• 6.6.7 Annexes

Agreement with WIPO

In agreement with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), this Office has committed to preparing a small number of state-of-the art search reports for the benefit of developing countries, preferably in our region of the world. Requests are allocated by WIPO to one of several national Offices participating in this program. The Offices are Austria (AT), European Union (EU), Finland (FI), Sweden (SE), Germany (DE), and Australia (AU).

Extent of search and period covered

Under the program, the extent of the search is normally PCT minimum documentation. For this reason these procedures are modelled on our International and International-Type search procedures (see 6.1 International Searching and 6.2 International Type Searching).

However, a search covering the whole period from 1920 may not always be required. Truncation of this period may be inherent in the nature of the request, or the requestor may have indicated a limitation as to the period, countries, languages or IPC areas to be searched. To this extent the search strategy adopted may vary from our normal PCT search. One truncation strategy could be to search back to 1975 then assess the merits of searching prior to that date.

In the situation that a foreign search result is available, the search required will be a top-up search only and will be performed from the date of the International Search Report until any date specified in the request, or until the date of filing of the request.