Positive Patent Examination Pilot Program for Startup Companies to come into effect on January 5, 2021
To support the growth of startups, the government has been actively providing subsidies to nascent businesses. Newly founded companies in possession of patents have a greater chance of obtaining these state-sponsored contributions. An additional benefit of owning a patent is that it can be used as collateral for a loan and allows for diversified financing.
September 1: TIPO introduces operational directions for third parties to participate in patent examination process
TIPO has always strived for the highest standards when it comes to patent quality. As a further sign of this commitment, the office has been working on how to best encourage third parties to submit prior art concerning the patentability of an invention after the publishing of patent applications 18 months following the earliest effective filing date - this reflects similar measures adopted worldwide and serves to enhance the stability of patent rights.
Amendments to the Regulations Governing Application for Approval of Compulsory License of Musical Works and Royalties for Use Thereof
Where an application is made for a compulsory license of a musical work, the written application form shall indicate the identity of the owner of the economic rights to the musical work. This allows the copyright competent authority to notify said owner that he/she may submit an opinion pertaining to the content of the application form. However, in accordance with Paragraph 4 of Article 37 of the Copyright Act, if the musical work has been exclusively licensed, the exclusive licensee may, within the scope of the license, exercise rights in the capacity of economic rights holder. In such instances, the copyright owner is precluded from exercising his/her rights.
Program on Mutual Cooperation in the Field of Deposit of Biological Materials for the Purposes of Patent Procedure between Taiwan and South Korea comes into effect on September 1, 2020
Following the launch of the cooperative program on mutual recognition of the deposit of biological materials for the purpose of patent procedure between Taiwan and Japan in 2015 and between Taiwan and the UK in 2017, the cooperative program between Taiwan and South Korea, based on an MOU signed in August, will be implemented on September 1, 2020. It once again expands Taiwan’s scope of international cooperation in this field.
TIPO Releases IPR Statistics for the First Half of 2020
In the first half of 2020, TIPO received a total of 33,954 applications for invention, utility model, and design patents, marking a 4% decrease over the same period last year. On the other hand, the number of trademark registration applications hit a record high with 43,385 cases (see Table 1). In terms of invention patent applications, TSMC topped domestic applicants and QUALCOMM topped foreign applicants (see Figure 2). The applications by domestic SMEs grew by 14%.
