January 23, 2025
The Sequence Listings Task Force, the group of experts who maintain WIPO Standard ST.26, is currently considering a substantive revision that may impact the minimum length requirement and its enforcement.
WIPO ST.26 currently restricts the inclusion of sequences in a sequence listing which have fewer than 10 specifically defined nucleotides or fewer than four specifically defined amino acids.
In order to better understand the impact this may have on patent applicants, the Sequence Listings Task Force has prepared a survey and encourages all applicants who author sequence listings to respond to the survey. The survey is designed to capture an individual’s response rather than seeking the view of a professional organization.
WIPO Sequence subscribers have already been sent the survey. The deadline to receive responses is March 31, 2025.