Newsletter
PATENT INTERVIEW REGULA-TIONS AMENDED
On 24 November 2006, the Ministry of Eco-nomic Affairs announced amendments to its Regulations Governing Patent Interviews. The amended Regulations for the first time permit interviews to be conducted by videoconferencing. The main points of the amendments are as fol-lows:
If an examiner is unable for any reason to at-tend an interview, the interview may be con-ducted by other staff member of the Intel-lectual Property Office (IPO) connected with patent examination, or may be conducted by videoconferencing.
Interviews should be conducted on IPO premises or at the IPO's local service points. If necessary, videoconferencing equipment in-stalled at the IPO or its local offices can be used.
Where an interview is conducted by video-conferencing, since the participants are not present at a single location, it is not possible for them to sign or affix their seals to a single master copy of the interview minutes. Therefore, the IPO staff member should read out the matters covered by the interview and the main points of the questions and replies, of which the content will be confirmed by the persons attending at the IPO or at the IPO's local service points.
Where an interview is conducted by video-conferencing, if communications are inter-rupted or other problems arise with the vid-eoconferencing equipments, thus causing it impossible to conduct the interview on that day, the IPO may set another date and location for the interview