European Patent Office and China National Intellectual Property Administration announce enhanced PCT cooperation
The European Patent office (EPO) and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) have recently announced an agreement to give patent applicants filing an international patent application, in English, at the CNIPA as receiving office, the choice to opt for the EPO as their International Searching Authority (ISA). It is currently expected that this new option will be introduced sometime in 2020, and be implemented as a two-year pilot programme.