New Accelerated Patent Grant with the United States

By Guzmán Ariza, Attorneys at Law

Salvador Ramos, the Director General of the National Office of Industrial Property of the Dominican Republic (ONAPI), and Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), signed a joint statement of intent for the implementation of a new worksharing initiative, the Accelerated Patent Grant (APG).  

The new arrangement gives eligible patent applicants the option of using an expedited process for obtaining a patent grant in the Dominican Republic based on a U.S. patent grant. 

Under the APG process, an eligible patent applicant who has been granted a U.S. patent by the USPTO may request that ONAPI grant a patent on a corresponding Dominican patent application at any time during its processing, following the publication of the application by ONAPI and subject to the relevant patent laws of the Dominican Republic. 

This new APG arrangement will continue for five years.

"When we work together to expedite patent grants, we help companies, including start-ups and small businesses, protect their ideas and inventions faster, secure funding, and bring their new ideas to market," said Director Vidal. "This initiative will help propel innovation for businesses in both the U.S. and the Dominican Republic and drive economic growth through critical intellectual property protections."

According to ONAPI, the signing of this agreement marks a significant milestone in international cooperation in IP matters. "Its objective is to streamline the process of granting patents, facilitating innovators access to protection for their inventions in both countries. This accelerated system will reduce waiting times for obtaining patents, thus promoting innovation and economic development".