The Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) has completed the first preparation phase for the reform of the PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) Minimum Documentation by modernizing the Authority File of Published Patent Documents (Authority File) according to the new approaches of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

In July 2023, the PCT Union Assembly decided to expand the scope of patent documentation to be examined by International Searching Authorities (ISAs) and International Preliminary Examining Authorities under the PCT. The Assembly has also adopted new requirements for ISAs to provide their own patent collection at the global level. These amendments will come into force on January 1, 2026. However, the EAPO has already started preparing for them this year. The modernization of the Authority File is the first important stage in implementing the new working standards.

The EAPO has been publishing an expanded version of the Authority File on its website since August 1, 2023. It is formed in accordance with the 2021 update of WIPO Standard ST.37 “Recommendation for an Authority File of Published Patent Documents”.

The Authority File allows any user to compare the documents in their database with the complete list of patent documents published by the EAPO from 1996 to the present, i.e., during the entire period of operation of the Eurasian Patent Organization. This Authority File provides detailed information on the text search availability of the main elements of a patent document: an abstract, a description and claims.

Thus, given the new capabilities of patent offices associated with the proliferation of modern information systems and artificial intelligence, the composition, language coverage and quality of the data available to patent examiners for international search and preliminary examination of applications are expanding.