Amendments adopted by the 47th and 48th PCT Union Sessions have
taken effect as of July 1, 2017, touching upon 8 articles and 12
paragraphs in all.
Extension of time limit for Supplementary International Search
requests
Background
For further improvement, the time limit for SIS requests is
extended to be the same as that of filing international preliminary
examination.
Amendment
The time limit of filing a request for Supplementary International
Search (SIS) is extended from 19 month to 22 month as of the
priority date.
Application scope
Applicable to any international application, as long as the 19
month limit is unexpired on July 1, 2017.
Implications
The SIS system was enforced on January 1, 2009. At present, only 6
international search authorities claim their readiness in carrying
out SIS, namely, Austria Patent Office, European Patent Office,
National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland, Federal
Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and
