This site is intended to provide useful information for U.S. applicants that wish to take advantage of the PDX program which avoids the fee associated with ordering a certified priority document for each office of second filing (OSF) and the costs of transmitting those certified copies to foreign associates or foreign intellectual property offices. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) transmits certain U.S. priority applications as-filed to any foreign intellectual property office that participates in the PDX program (participating office) and retrieves/accesses certain foreign priority applications as-filed from the participating offices.
To date the USPTO has priority document exchange agreements with the following foreign intellectual property offices:
- European Patent Office (EPO) effective January 16, 2007
- Japan Patent Office (JPO) effective July 28, 2008
- Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) effective October 14, 2008
- State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China (CN) effective October 8, 2014
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) effective April 20, 2009
Under the USPTO agreement with the WIPO, the PDX program is expanded to the various offices that choose to participate in the WIPO Digital Access Service (DAS) for Priority Documents. The list of DAS participating offices is maintained by the WIPO. As of April 15, 2011, the PDX program has been extended to the following DAS participating offices:
- International Bureau (IB)
- Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (ES)
- United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (GB)
- Australian Patent Office (AU)
- National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland
- Denmark Patent and Trademark Office (DK) - as a depositing Office
- Swedish Patent and Trademark Office (SE)
Overview of the PDX [PDF, Aug. 2011]
What's New / Announcements
- Implementation of WIPO DAS 2.0 new Access Code Procedure [PDF, October 2014]
- How to Identify a Foreign Priority Application Under the Priority Document Exchange Program (PDX) [PDF, November 2014]
- Timing of PDX Retrieval Attempts [PDF, November 2014]
USPTO Retrieval of a Foreign Priority Document from a Participating Office
Authorization to Permit Access to a U.S. Application by a Participating Office
Applications That Are Not PDX Eligible
Under the PDX program, the USPTO is unable to electronically retrieve certain foreign applications to which priority is claimed in a U.S. application. In particular, the USPTO cannot retrieve a design application from a participating office or a PCT international application, unless filed with the RO/AU, RO/DK, RO/ES, RO/FI, RO/IB or RO/SE.
Under the PDX program, the USPTO will not attempt to retrieve any foreign application to which priority is claimed in a U.S. design application or in a national phase application filed under 35 U.S.C. 371. The USPTO will not accept an authorization to permit access to application by participating office in a U.S. design application.
More Bilateral PDX Service Information
More DAS Information
- WIPO's Participating Offices in DAS
- DAS Web Portal
- DAS OG Notices and publications
- DAS Frequently Asked Questions [PDF]
Support
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