In 2023, the Eurasian Patent Office continued its activities on the development of the Eurasian Dispute Resolution System in the field of intellectual property.

Rules 53 and 116 of the Patent Regulations under the Eurasian Patent Convention were amended at the forty-third (thirtieth ordinary) session of the EAPO Administrative Council, which was held in Moscow on December 5–7, 2023. Since January 1, 2024, these amendments enabled the use of a centralized procedure for the administrative revocation of Eurasian patents for inventions and Eurasian patents for industrial designs by the filing of oppositions with the Eurasian Patent Office within three years from the date of publication of information on the granting of the corresponding Eurasian patents.

Patent Regulations under the Eurasian Patent Convention (Part I. Inventions)

Patent Regulations under the Eurasian Patent Convention (Part II. Industrial Designs)

It should be noted that beginning from November 1, 2022 the period was nine months from the date of publication of information on the granting of a Eurasian patent, and before that, throughout the entire period that the Eurasian system for the legal protection of inventions and the Eurasian system for the legal protection of industrial designs functioned, the period was only six months from that date.

The increasing term for filing oppositions aimed at the revocation of the validity of the Eurasian patents via the administrative procedure will contribute to the further centralization of the examination of disputes on the patent protection of industrial property by Eurasian patents, and, consequently, to the formation of a more uniform practice in applying the regulations of Eurasian patent law.

Throughout 2023, the Eurasian Patent Office progressively resolved the issues of expanding the implementation of alternative methods for dispute resolution regarding the patent protection of industrial property by Eurasian patents.

The number of examiners of the Eurasian Patent Office who received additional professional education under the advanced training program Mediation. Basic Course, reached four in 2023.

Rules 111 and 116 of the Patent Regulations under the Eurasian Patent Convention were amended at the forty-third (thirtieth ordinary) session of the EAPO Administrative Council to expand the categories of disputes related to the patent protection of industrial designs that may be resolved through mediation procedures. The amendments entered into force on January 1, 2024.

Throughout 2023, the Eurasian Patent Office, involving well-known scholars specialized in the implementation of alternative dispute resolution methods, carried out research work on the Prospects for the Implementation of Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods Related to the Patent Protection of Industrial Property, which resulted in proposals to improve the relevant regulations of the Eurasian patent law.

In addition, on October 23, 2023, the Eurasian Patent Office and the World Intellectual Property Organization held a webinar on Alternative Dispute Resolution of Patent Disputes as part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Area of Intellectual Property.