Amendments to Positive Patent Examination Pilot Program for Startups take effect as of January 1, 2024

　Taiwan IPO had continued the implementation of the “Positive Patent Examination Pilot Program for Startups” (hereinafter the “Pilot Program”) from January 1, 2023 until December 31, 2023, and now the Pilot Program is revised to be implemented for another trial period of one year.  The renewed Pilot Program relaxes the eligibility requirements for startups, according to which a startup company may qualify as an applicant for the renewed Pilot Program as long as it holds any invention patent applications.  TIPO removed the requirement that an eligible startup company seeking participation in the revised Pilot Program shall be the applicant of the invention patent application at the time when the patent application is filed.  In addition, under the revisions regarding the definition of startup companies, the calculation of the year of establishment within 8 years as a requirement for eligibility for the Pilot Program now starts from a startup company’s date of incorporation through “the date of application for the Pilot Program”, in lieu of “through the filing date of an invention patent application”.  The renewed Pilot Program has come into force as of January 1, 2024.  (Released 2023.11.30)  
/CCS