German patent office has joined DAS!!

Regular readers of this blog are well aware that I almost never use two exclamation points in a headline.  Today, however, is a day for such emphasis.  Yes, the German patent office has joined the DAS system as a Depositing Office.  The German patent office (having the formal name Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt) announced today that it became a DAS Depositing Office yesterday, November 25, 2024.

It is a Depositing Office with respect to three types of priority documents:

• • National patent applications
  • National utility model applications
  • PCT international applications

This is extremely good news.   It will make a big difference for patent applicants in Germany and it will make a big difference for patent practitioners in Germany.  It will likewise make a big difference for patent practitioners all around the world who handle patent applications claiming priority from applications filed in the German patent office.