fee for substantial examination can be refunded

TIPO announces that the fee for substantial examination for TW application can be refunded if the applicant intends to withdraw the application as claiming a domestic priority by the later filing application.

According to TW Patent Act Art. 29, when an applicant files a further application based on a prior invention application or utility model application filed by himself in ROC, the applicant may claim for the priority right in respect of the invention described in the specification or drawings submitted along with this prior patent application, it is also called "domestic priority". If the applicant claim the domestic priority, the prior application it relies on will be withdrawn as the applicant files a notice, or be withdrawn automatically after 15 months from the filing date of the prior application.

Generally, the invention application may not enter the substantial examination procedure in TIPO within 15 months from its filing date, so it should be refunded if the application does not yet enter the examination procedure before the first Office Action issues when its priority date is claimed by the further domestic application.

Ron

Office Letter:
經濟部智慧財產局　函
發文日期：中華民國99年10月6日
發文字號：智法字第09918600450號
主旨：關於主張國內優先權，先申請案自其申請日起滿15個月，視為撤回後，申請人得申請退還實體審查申請費，請查照。
說明：
一、依專利法第29條第2項規定，專利申請案主張國內優先權，先申請案自其申請日起滿15個月，視為撤回。次依99年1月1日修正施行之專利規費收費準則第2條之1規定，發明申請案於發給第一次審查意見通知前撤回申請案者，得申請退還實體審查申請費。
二、由於不論申請人主動撤回或法定視為撤回，本局皆無庸再行實體審查，故主張國內優先權之先申請案既已生視為撤回，依前開準則之規定，自99年1月1日起申請人得申請退還該先申請案之實體審查申請費。