The Korean Intellectual Property Office has quietly rolled out several very nice features in its ISA and IPEA service. PCT filers who pick ISA/KR or IPEA/KR will want to familiarize themselves with these very nice features.
Regardless of which ISA you pick when filing a PCT application, what (should) always happen is that soon after filing, you receive Form PCT/ISA/202. This is the form by which the ISA admits having received the Search Copy. This form permits the filer to calculate when the ISR/WO should arrive. (It is recalled that this is P+9 or SC+3, whichever is later. Priority date plus nine months, or date of receipt of search copy plus three months, whichever is later.) For as many years as I have been in practice, the receipt of Form PCT/ISA/202 has played a part in docketing, both because it permits me to clear the docket “check for receipt of ISA/202” and because it permits me to set a docket “check for receipt of ISR/WO”.
But in recent times, the receipt of Form PCT/ISA/202 from ISA/KR has new and important and helpful significance, as I will now discuss.
Checking status of the search process or preliminary examination process. The Form PCT/ISA/202 from ISA/KR has a Secret Code Number in the lower right corner. This Secret Code number permits the filer to go to the KIPO web site and to see the status of the search process. This is a little bit like Private PAIR but for an ISA.
Downloading documents from the ISA/KR file or IPEA/KR file. The Secret Code Number permits the filer to go to the KIPO web site and to download an extra copy, in PDF format, of documents from the ISA/KR file or from the IPEA/KR file. This is a little bit like Image File Wrapper (IFW) but for an ISA or IPEA.
Uploading documents to the ISA/KR or IPEA/KR. The Secret Code Number permits the filer to go to the KIPO web site and to upload a document to ISA/KR or to IPEA/KR. This is a little bit like EFS-Web but for an ISA or IPEA. The permitted document types for ISA/KR are:
- request for rectification of obvious error
- payment of additional (search) fee
- payment of additional (search) fee and protest fee
- submission of nucleotide/amino acid sequence listings
- notification of appointment of agent
- the other document
This same portal also permits e-filing a document to IPEA/KR. This is once again a little bit like EFS-Web but for an IPEA. The permitted document types for IPEA/KR are:
- amendments under Article 34
- fee calculation sheet annex to the Demand
- Chapter II Demand
- response to the invitation to correct defects in the Demand
- response to the Written Opinion
- the other document
Have you used this document upload feature of the KIPO web site for ISA or IPEA documents? Please post a comment below.