Saudi Arabia Appoints USPTO as PCT International Searching Authority

Recently, the Saudi Arabian Intellectual Property Office (SAIP) announced that it has designated the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as the International Search Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examination Authority (IPEA) for international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). This move allows Saudi applicants to choose the USPTO to conduct international searches for their PCT patent applications.

This development not only reflects the growing partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States in the field of intellectual property (IP), but also the commitment to improving and standardizing IP services to support business development in both countries. Notably, the USPTO becomes the seventh international search authority designated by SAIP, joining the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO), the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property (ROSPATENT) and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).