The Visegrád Group to set up common patent office

Representatives of the countries comprising the Visegrád Group (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) have signed a deal to set up a common patent office, Polish daily Puls Biznesu informed. The office is modeled on the Nordic Patent Institute, an intergovernmental institution established by the governments of Denmark, Iceland and Norway. The Visegrád Patent Institute will start operating in 2016. Its task is to promote innovation and competitiveness in the CEE region. Most of all, it is aimed at facilitating a procedure for filing patent applications and providing access to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system. The office's role will be similar to that International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examination Authority.