Changes in patent laws
In Colombia, over the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of patents applied for and delivered thanks to the latest changes in the Colombian patent office. For this reason, these changes and their respective benefits to Colombians will be mentioned and explained later.
First, on February 2, 2016, resolution 3719 was issued, which regulates the filing of divisional applications, the conversion of patent applications to utility models, the merging of applications and the possibility of carrying out Up to 3 patentability examinations for an application on condition that the period of 18 months counted from the publication of the same in the official files of the office is not exceeded. This resolution allows Colombians to be able to file divisional applications until a final decision is made.
Similarly, the office has begun to take steps to reduce application filing rates and decision times, according to statistics from the Colombian Patent Office, the study of a patent application currently takes 22 months on average, While in 2012 it took 62 months for the same procedure.
Finally, significant progress has been made in the signing of a pilot program to accelerate patent examination (PPH) processes with the Office of South Korea (KIPO), which entered into force on 1 February 2016. This pilot program is now part of the group of offices such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM), and the Japan Patent Office (JPO). Manage more effective procedures for making decisions that have to do with patents.
For further understanding, the following table presents a summary of other significant changes in relation to patents:
First, it is possible to conclude that the measures that have been taken in the Patent Office of Colombia have a positive effect on statistics on patent applications; because in the course of 2015, 2242 applications were filed against a total of 2205 in 2014 of increased patent applications in Colombia. In this sense, the response to the effort to increase national applications is also observed, since a total of 321 applications were filed by national applicants versus 280 submitted in 2014.
Finally it is necessary to take into account that the importance that has acquired in the last years the protection of inventions in the country. HERE, the changes evidenced an interest by the Colombian Patent Office, and a strong inter-office cooperation taking into account international studies through PPH programs. This is reflected in the number of patent applications generally mentioned above. This facilitates the procedures by offering greater opportunities to defend the patentability and creations of Colombians.
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