Peer-to-Patent Australia, a project based on the successful Peer-to-Patent project run out of
the New York Law School (NYLS) in the United States, launches December 9. The project, run by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in cooperation with IP Australia, is the result
of the collaborative efforts between QUT and NYLS.
Designed to improve patent examination and the quality of patents, Peer-to-Patent Australia uses Web 2.0 technology to allow experts within the community to review participating patent applications and bring relevant prior art to the attention of IP Australia’s patent examiners.
According to Professor Brian Fitzgerald, from QUT’s Faculty of Law, the project aims to assist patent examiners by identifying prior art they might not otherwise have discovered or had access to. “Peer-to-Patent Australia will initially run as a six month trial which will focus on the rapidly advancing technology areas of business methods and computer software,” Professor Fitzgerald said.
Philip Noonan, director-general of IP Australia in supporting Peer-to-Patent Australia, stated, “This initiative is designed to improve the robustness of the patents we grant by creating a community of reviewers who can pool their knowledge and locate potential prior art, particularly in technologies which are advancing rapidly.
Professor Fitzgerald invites all interested parties to get involved as peer reviewers. “The success of the project requires the participation of people from industry, government, academia and the broader community – many of whom will be exposed to new technologies on a daily basis."
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