Patent Law & Practice at a Glance – May 2025

UKIPO update

UKIPO IP Audit scheme for SMEs

Following the 2024/25 pilot of the IP Advance scheme for SMEs, the UKIPO has committed to continuing support for the IP Audit scheme for 2025/26.

The IP Audit provides part-funding of £2,250 (inc. VAT) for an IP audit carried out by a qualified IP professional. The business is required to contribute £750 (inc. VAT) towards the total cost. The audit results in a tailored report outlining recommendations, estimated costs, and a proposed implementation timeline. A follow-up meeting with the IP professional is also included to review the report’s findings and next steps.

IP Audit is not administered directly through the UKIPO but is managed on a regional level through a series of partners. Applications are sent through the regional partners and then assessed by the UKIPO.

More information about the IP Audit can be found here.

Contact details for the relevant partner in each region:

• In England, contact Innovate UK Business Growth via their National Enquiry Gateway: contact@innovateukbg.ukri.org.
• In Northern Ireland, contact the Invest Northern Ireland Intellectual Property team on tau-ip@investni.com.
• In Scotland, contact Scottish Enterprise or email the Scottish Enterprise Intellectual Property Specialist Team: IPTeam@scotent.co.uk. For the Highlands and Islands region, contact Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and for the South of Scotland region, contact South of Scotland Enterprise.
• In Wales, contact the Welsh Government: intellectual.property.information@gov.wales. For information about their support programmes visit Business Wales.

Filing statistics

The statistics for March 2025 are now available here. Statistics for previous months can be found here.

Customer service standards

The latest update on how the UKIPO is doing relative to the targets they have set themselves can be found here.

EPO update

Simplified procedure for ex officio deletions from the list of professional representatives

The EPO is introducing a new, simplified procedure for ex officio deletions from the list of professional representatives. It accelerates the procedure by several months and will apply as of 1 June 2025, in particular for non-payment of the subscription to the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (epi). More details are available here.

Changes to the automatic debiting procedure

The EPO has introduced a new system for the automatic payment of fees during the European patent grant procedure. From 1 April 2025, users are able to choose between three types of automatic debit order, covering either all fees, all fees except renewal fees or renewal fees only.

Details available here and here.

Introduction of gender-neutral language in the EPC Implementing Regulations

By a decision of 10 December 2024, the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation adopted a set of amendments introducing gender-neutral language into the Implementing Regulations to the Convention on the Grant of European Patents (EPC Implementing Regulations). The amendments entered into force on 1 April 2025.

Details available here and here.

PPH pilot programme between the EPO and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Bahrain (MOIC)

The EPO and the MOIC announced on 12 January 2025 their intention to launch a comprehensive Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot programme. The PPH pilot programme commenced on 1 March 2025 and will run until 28 February 2027.

Details available here.

Validation of European patents in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

As of 1 April 2025, it is possible to validate European patent applications and patents in Lao PDR, where, after validation, they will confer essentially the same protection as patents granted by the EPO for the now 39 member states of the European Patent Organisation. This is available for European applications filed on or after 1 April 2025.

Details available here.

PCT update

Publication schedule

Thursday 29 May 2025 is a non-working day at WIPO. PCT applications that would normally have been published on that day will be published on Friday 30 May 2025 instead. The date of completion of technical preparations will remain unchanged. Any changes to be taken into account for the purposes of international publication should be received at the IB by midnight (CEST) on Tuesday 13 May 2025.

ePCT Update

A new version of the ePCT system was deployed in March 2025. Please see ePCT User Guide FAQs, ePCT Office User Guide FAQs, and here (pages 2 to 4) for further details of the changes.

Updated PCT-EPO Guidelines

The Guidelines for Search and Examination at the EPO as PCT Authority (PCT-EPO Guidelines) have been amended with effect from 1 April 2025. Please see the Official Journal announcement, the Guidelines, and here (page 4 to 5) for further details.

Validation of PCT applications in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

A new agreement entered into force on 1 April 2025. It is now possible to validate PCT applications containing a designation for a European patent in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. This will be available for all PCT application filed on or after 1 April 2025. Please see here (page 5) for further details.

SME Support Series

In a new SME Support Series, page 8 to 10 of the PCT Newsletter outlines the process behind seeking patent protection for an invention using the PCT.

Practical advice: Correcting elements or parts of an international application on or after the filing date

The following question is answered: I submitted a PCT application and, after reviewing the submission, realised that I had submitted the wrong set of drawings. Do I need to withdraw and re-file the application? And what could I do if I only noticed such a mistake the day after filing? Please see here (pages 10 to 12) for the detailed answer.

Practical advice: Time limits and possibilities of extension

The following question is answered: When the receiving office invites me to correct formal defects, it usually sets a two-month time limit for me to respond and is willing to extend this time limit at my request. Why, then, will it not extend other time limits such as the time limit to correct a priority claim? Please see here (pages 7 and 8) for the detailed answer.

Other useful links

The PCT seminar, webinar and event calendar can be found here (page 13).

The PCT fee tables (as of 1 April 2025) can be found here (pages 14 to 21).

A list of PCT Contracting States and Two-Letter Country Codes (as of 1 April 2025) can be found here (page 22).