Accelerated Examination Available for Green-Tech Inventions to Facilitate Patent Mapping

According to Taiwan IPO’s press release, as a result of the rapid development of green economy, application of green technologies now serves as a punch to driving industrial development.  Demand for and economic benefits from green-tech related industries have been rising continuously as well.  For stimulating green technology innovation and elevating patent examination efficiency and also for enhancing the patent predominance of green technology, Taiwan IPO has included green-tech related inventions under the Accelerated Examination Program (AEP) since January 2014.  Up to August 2014, there had been 28 green-tech related patent applications filed for AEP, among which domestic applications account for 82% and the top three green-tech related technologies are solar cells, electric bikes/cars powered by green energy, and smart grid.  Further, electrode module and membranous materials comprise most of the applications of solar cell inventions.  Applicants of the category of electric bikes/cars powered by green energy include large-sized enterprises, such as, China Steel and Motech Industries, Inc., etc. 

To push forward the R&D of green technologies, Taiwan IPO gives priority to the applications relating to green-tech technologies filed for AEP in the hope of promoting green-energy industries and patent mapping thereof.  Fields of green technologies that are admissible for AEP include (1) technologies involving energy-saving, new energy, new-energy automobiles, and (2) inventions involving carbon-reduction technologies and natural resource saving technologies. (September 2014)
/CCS