Minister of Industry and Commerce attends agreement signing on fast-track system for technical examination of patents with US Patent Office

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Within the framework of the official visit to Washington, a signing ceremony was held this morning on an agreement of understanding and cooperation on applying the fast-track system for technical examination of patents (PPH) with the US Patent Office. In the presence of H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, to represent the Bahraini side, and H.E. Kathy Vidal, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the Patent and Trademark Office, to represent the American side.

The Minister valued this step which drives the Kingdom of Bahrain towards further development of the patents and intellectual property sector, emphasizing Bahrain's position in preserving and protecting all types of intellectual property and patent rights, which in turn contributes to increasing the flow of investments.

The agreement comes as part of the work plan to develop the regulatory and procedural framework related to the registration of intellectual property and patents in cooperation with the Prime Minister Office, the agreement will enable:  Accelerating of technical examination procedures of patent applications, enhancing cooperation in the fields of patents with the US Patent Office, facilitating exchange of information on the latest findings of both sides regarding patent applications filed with the Bahrain Patent Office, exchanging best practices and experiences in the field of managing patent offices and procedures for examination and grants, raising the quality of the reports of the Bahraini National Office, and preventing conflicts in technical results with major international patent offices, and promoting the Kingdom's global position as a country that preserves and protects all types of intellectual property rights including patent rights, in addition to increasing revenues related to filing patent applications and examining them technically.

The fast-track system for technical examination of patents, which supports the applicant approved by international patent offices, including the US Patent Office, to speed up the procedures for granting patents in the Kingdom of Bahrain based on the examination reports issued by the five major international government offices proposed to be contracted bilaterally, and through this agreement, the Kingdom of Bahrain aspires to enhance cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the US Patent Office in order to build a knowledge-based economy based on creativity and innovation. The system also aims to provide an attractive environment for regional and international investments, in addition to enabling the examination of patent applications filed with the Bahrain Patent Office, especially in cases where a specialized patent examiner is not available.

The system ensures that patent applications are processed efficiently and effectively, ultimately positioning Bahrain as a hub for technological progress and intellectual property development, fostering an ecosystem that fosters innovation.