TransTasman risks, page-8

Hi Fangk I have some answers for you from the attorney.

WIPO's ePCT national phase will work like you suggested. It bridges the patent attorney middlemen so the end user can directly file into patent offices around the world.

ePCT is the main platform for filing a PCT application. There is an earlier system called PCT Safe but it is being phased out and is no longer available in some countries. ePCT is much easier to use than PCT Safe and has been widely adopted, this is mentioned in various committee minutes from WIPO. PCT safe is largely unsupported nowadays and may not work on Windows 8 above.

The direct links have existed for years, Patent offices have engaged in various data sharing programs to simplify systems by avoiding the need for staff to retype data (cutting patent office staffing costs) and also for prior art searching. IPAustralia electronically receives data from WIPO and makes it available soon after the PCT applications are published. This occurs about a year before the client has to enter the national phase. All the information is already with IPAustralia when the attorney types in the application number to enter the national phase in Australia.

ePCT national phase will just send another packet of information to the relevant patent offices telling them that national phase has been entered.

Renewals are not provided via ePCT but are no longer relevant from a profit perspective. Renewals come at the end of the patenting process and third party providers already offer renewal services in direct competition with patent attorneys and at a significant discount. The Patent Attorney profession largely lost that business years ago as clients for reasons such as pricing and since clients prefer to deal with a single provider for renewals in multiple countries. Quite a few Australian patent attorneys were founding partners in the formation of renewal businesses which were sold off many years ago. www.cpaglobal.com is an example of such a renewal provider.

The earlier analysis was based on national phase filing figures, only PCT applications turn into national phase applications whereas other types do not. National phase filing figures for attorney firms are searchable at IPAustralia and many other patent offices. The prospectus provided the total number of patent filings so it was possible to determine the impact of ePCT national phase on profit. The analysis was based on the Sprusons figures. This means the effect on profits will be considerably greater since IPH Pizzeys and the other firms also had very large national phase business. It is national phase filings which provides a significant part of the profits of the big firms and it is this business which will disappear.

IPAustralia and WIPO (ePCT) provides statistics on their websites. http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/facts-and-stats/ and http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/