Priority Document Access Service
The WIPO PATENTSCOPE® Priority Document Access Service is a service established and administered by the International Bureau of WIPO. It enables a patent applicant claiming priority from an earlier application to rely on a copy of the priority document held in, or accessible via, the Service, rather than having to provide a certified copy separately to each Patent Office with which a patent application claiming priority is filed. Participation in the new system is voluntary for Patent Offices and for applicants.
The Service has been established in accordance with Framework Provisions for the Digital Access Service for Priority Documents established on March 31, 2009 by the International Bureau in accordance with a decision of the Paris Union Assembly, the PLT Assembly and the PCT Union Assembly and the recommendations of the Working Group on the Digital Access Service for Priority Documents. The Service began operation on April 1, 2009.
Legal Resources
- Participating Digital Libraries (including details of their relevant notifications and information)
- Framework Provisions (also Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish language versions)
Further Development of the Service
The further development of the Service is carried out with advice on various matters from the Working Group and from the Consultative Group which has been established in accordance with the framework provisions. These groups are supported by an electronic forum on WIPO's website.
