IP laws and international cooperation: progress in rights
China
The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) recently implemented a new accelerated patent examination pilot project, named the “Belt and Road” pilot project, which was officially launched on January 20, 2025.
The program, which is set to run for an initial period of two years, concluding on January 19, 2027, will allow for the expedited examination of patent applications for eligible applicants from participating jurisdictions to the project.
The eligibility of applicants will be determined in accordance with the “Process for Submitting Requests for Accelerated Examination to the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) under the Belt and Road Patent Accelerated Examination Pilot Project".
The Belt and Road initiative offers a unilateral accelerated examination process, through which the examination of a patent application is completed by the office of first filing, and those examination results are then shared with the IP office(s) of subsequent filings, so long as they are a Participating State to the project. This eliminates the need for the examination procedure to take place in multiple offices simultaneously, thus expediting the process and saving valuable resources.
The CNIPA will accept and facilitate a maximum of 1,000 accelerated patent examination requests each year, with each participating IP office in the project being limited to conducting 100 requests each year.
The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office is the first participating IP office in the Belt and Road pilot project, with the CNIPA aiming to deepen international cooperation in the field of patent examination with further jurisdictions in the near future.
The newly enforced project is set to benefit not only a multitude of IP applicants interested in protecting their patents within China and beyond, but for the IP offices that are a party to the project.
Saudi Arabia Hague Agreement
The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) has announced the country's accession to the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. The government deposited its instrument of accession to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement, which is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), on January 7, 2025, with the Agreement entering into force 3 months thereafter, on April 7, 2025.
Saudi Arabia marks the 99th country to join the Hague Agreement, the 76th to join the Geneva Act and the 82nd member of the Hague Union, having been a member of the WIPO since 1982. Saudi Arabia`s accession to the Agreement means that design applicants will be able to designate Saudi Arabia for the protection of an industrial design, alongside the other member states.
The Hague System itself allows applicants to file a single industrial design application (known as an international design application) covering any or all Hague member states, eliminating the need to file individual design applications in each state separately. International applications are assessed and examined by each country independently, and, if granted, will be effective in those jurisdictions according to their respective national laws.
The decision to join the Agreement signifies a move toward greater international collaboration in the field of intellectual property for Saudi Arabia, and is hoped to encourage a higher number of filings for IP protection within the jurisdiction, promoting innovation and economic growth.
Saudi Arabia ISA/IPEA
In a further step toward fostering international collaboration in the field of IP, the SAIP officially commenced its role as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) as part of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system as of December 15, 2024.
As an ISA and IPEA, the SAIP now facilitates patent search and examination services in the Arabic language for PCT applicants, allowing access to accurate and efficient patent search and preliminary examination results.
A preliminary patent examination affords applicants the opportunity to obtain a professional opinion regarding the patentability of an invention directly from the examining authority (e.g. the SAIP). This, in turn, allows applicants to assess the likelihood of receiving patent protection in PCT member states prior to commencing the national and/or regional phase.
The new roles of the SAIP further enhance the international standing of Saudi Arabia in the IP sphere, benefiting both national applicants and those around the globe.