Rospatent and Eurasian Patent Office Announce Changes to their Procedures

Amid growing concern over the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian Patent and Trademark Office (Rospatent) and the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) announced amendments to their work processes.

Hearings at Rospatent’s Chamber for Patent Disputes will be held remotely as teleconferences until May 8, 2020.

Paper documents will only be accepted by Rospatent through the Russian Post and via a contactless box.

Applicants and their representatives will not be able to access the EAPO premises until April 15, 2020. Paper documents will be accepted through the Russian Post. For documents relating to a Eurasian application or to a Eurasian patent, any document sent in facsimile form by email or through an FTP server within the established time limit will be considered submitted on time as long as the original is received no later than one month after the date when the ban on physical access is revoked.

Both Patent Offices encourage applicants to use specialized secure electronic channels for delivering documents. As a pioneer of such systems, Sojuzpatent is ready to continue electronic communication with both Patent Offices either from its premises or from remote locations.

At this time, both Patent Offices are fully operational and no deadlines have been extended. We will keep our clients and partners posted regarding further developments.