EPO productivity woes revealed
30 July 2007
Emma Barraclough, London
Productivity levels at the EPO are less than half those at the UK and German national patent offices, according to a benchmarking study prepared by Ernst & Young
The study, carried out in cooperation with ManagementTeam and released last week, analyzes data patent searching and examination work done by the examiners at the three offices between September 2005 and August 2006. It compared the legal background and considers the different patent procedures used in each office but ignored non-examination work and quality-related considerations.
Although the researchers found the substantive law to be almost identical at the three offices, the EPO was found on average to take 50% longer than the UK and German offices to produce its formal search and examination reports (products) and for its written and oral exchanges...
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