WIPO Hosts Patent Examination Workshop for Andean Countries in Lima
April 9, 2025
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in collaboration with Peru’s National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI) and with support from the Japan Patent Office (JPO) through the Funds-in-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global (FIT/Japan IP Global), successfully held a three-day workshop on patent examination for examiners from the Andean region.
The event, held in Lima from March 11 to 13 2025, brought together 22 patent examiners from Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador for intensive training focused on enhancing skills in prior art search, improving examination quality, and addressing complex issues in evolving technological fields such as biotechnology and computer-implemented inventions.
The workshop forms part of WIPO’s 2024 Financial Year Workplan under the FIT/Japan IP Global, aimed at strengthening patent examination capacities in developing regions.
Key Highlights and Participation
The workshop was opened by Ms. Christine Bonvallet, Director of the PCT International Cooperation Division at WIPO, and Mr. Manuel Castro, Director of the Patent Division at INDECOPI. It featured presentations by experts from WIPO, JPO, and invited speakers from the regional and the international IP community.
Among the highlights were:
- A pre-recorded presentation from the JPO on the use of AI in patent examination.
- Insightful sessions by WIPO officials, including Mr. Rolando Hernández Vigaud and Ms. Carolina Hanssen.
- A roundtable on the Andean Patent Examination Manual, with participation from Mr. Gabriel Benitez of the Andean Community Secretariat.
Emerging Topics and Outcomes
The workshop emphasized collaboration and sharing best practices among patent offices. Key topics discussed included:
- The use of AI tools in patent searches and the current limitations of generative AI in drafting patent applications.
- Challenges in examining multidisciplinary inventions and utility models.
- Opportunities to enhance the shared use of the International Patent Classification and the use of PCT International Reports as a good way to share information on how to decide which IPC code would apply to a particular invention.
- The need for specialized training in fast-evolving technologies and multi-field inventions.
- Taking advantage of the shared common legislation in patents by Andean countries to collaborate further in practical aspects of substantive examination and avoid duplications.
- Participants also emphasized the importance of in-person training events for fostering regional cooperation and professional exchange.
Next Steps and Future Initiatives
- Building on the momentum of the workshop, WIPO and participating offices identified several future priorities:
- Organizing a series of thematic online webinars focused on real-case analysis from Andean IP offices.
- Updating the Andean Patent Examination Manual in stages, with improved formatting and more technology-specific examples.
- Establishing a professional network for patent examiners across the region to support knowledge-sharing and collaboration—potentially through a LinkedIn group or a dedicated online platform.
This workshop reaffirmed WIPO’s commitment to supporting regional integration and collaboration in examination practices in Latin America while responding to the growing complexity of patent applications in the digital and biotechnological age.
Find out more