USPTO Updates Rules in Accordance with Revisions to WIPO Standard ST.26

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently issued a final rule updating its regulations on patent application disclosures containing nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences. The updated rules reflect the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)’s adoption of version 1.7 of its standard ST.26. The final rule will take effect on July 1, 2024.

The USPTO revised its rules for the first time in 2022 to reference certain provisions of WIPO Standard ST.26. In addition to simplifying the process for applicants to submit applications in multiple countries, ST.26 also requires the submission of single sequence listings in eXtensible Markup Language (XML). The XML format provides the public with better storage, access, and sorting of submitted sequence data. Among other improvements, version 1.7 of ST.26 provides consistency in technical terminology and improves descriptions.