EPO, JPO and USPTO reaffirm importance of co-operation in trilateral meeting

On 7 December, the European Patent Office (EPO), Japan Patent Office (JPO) and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) held their 39th annual meeting in virtual form.

Collectively known as the Trilateral offices, the top representatives of these organisations discussed the main findings of their recent meeting with the Trilateral industry associations, reviewed the latest developments in digitalising procedures at each office and spoke about the possibility of a future enhanced co-operation on intellectual property (IP) and environmental issues.

Among the topics discussed were the differences in electronic procedures amongst the patent offices, and ways that IP can facilitate innovation to mitigate the negative impact of climate change on a global scale.

The meeting ended positively, with all heads of office committed to engage in a stronger, long-lasting cooperation.