Egypt, the first Arab African country in the world to be appointed as ISA/IPEA under the Patent Cooperation Treaty PCT

The Egyptian Patent Office has appointed as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority (ISA/IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), and it is currently permissible to accept applications for patents from all over the world.

Professor Tarek Hussain, President of the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), told “SciDev” network that: “Egypt had obtained this status (international character) during the international meetings of the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on September 2009, which unanimously adopted the Egyptian Patent Office request after an integrated presentation provided by the Egyptian delegation which showed the potential and the possibilities of the Egyptian Patent Office to afford the required facilities to carry out the profession which includes 115 Researcher in all disciplines, and 25 focal points connections in Egyptian universities and research centers, noting that the preparation for the submission of the application took two years”.

Egypt's access to the international character of this came after years of preparation by the Egyptian government, thus making Egypt only the third developing country to be an International Authority after it obtained from Brazil and India in 2007. Moreover, Egypt is considered the first country in the African countries, and also the first country in the Arab and the Middle East regions to be appointed as (ISA/IPEA) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) from WIPO Assemblies’ meetings.

Professor Hussein explained that, among the key advantages offered by Egypt in this area is to expand the languages that are the acceptance of patent applications at the International phase of (PCT) to include the Arabic language, also contributes to the Egyptian Patent Office in facilitating the work of patent offices, Arab and African countries through the provision of international services for those offices.

The Chairman of the ASRT added: the Egyptian Patent Office has become the 15th of the patent offices approved by the WIPO as an international Authority under the PCT. We can accept patent applications of all States , at the international phase of the treaty to make an International Search Report (ISR) and an International Preliminary Examining Repot (IPER) under the (PCT) in Arabic, or in English from any member of the League of Arab States which reflects the efforts to promote scientific research base in Egypt and the ability to search in the merits of inventions at the global level of protection, a work which was traditionally carried out by patent offices in the advanced industrial countries.

Hussein pointed out that this reflects the efforts to promote scientific research base in Egypt, and their ability to look into the merits of inventions at the global level and to be protected, a work which was traditionally done by patent offices in the advanced industrial countries.

He explained that one of the key advantages offered by Egypt in this area expand the languages that are the acceptance of patent applications at the global level to include the Arabic language, as well as on the contribution of the Egyptian Patent Office in facilitating the work of patent offices of Arab and African countries through the provision of international services for those offices.