The Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) in February 2021 accepted the first application for an invention in the form of a three-dimensional model.
The possibility to attach to applications for registration three-dimensional models of the claimed objects of intellectual property (inventions, utility models, industrial designs and trademarks) in electronic form appeared in January 2021, when amendments to the Civil Code came into force.
“We finally came to technologies of the XXI century, when a 3D model is made – and that’s it, the essence of the invention is revealed, there is no need to describe in words. This is convenient for applicants, most of whom already work with three-dimensional models, and for our experts”, said the head of Rospatent Grigory Ivliev.
The use of a 3D model makes it possible to correct the claims of an invention or utility model already during the examination of the application by experts, if the changes and additions made are disclosed in a 3D model. This will not prevent the Service from declaring the submitted solution patentable.
It is expected that this will shorten the examination time and improve its quality. The publication of 3D-models will not occur – as before, only diagrams and drawings will be published.