Page 40 - IFIA_Magazine_No9

| IFIA M agazine - S ept ember 2019

OPPORTUNITY FOR THE IFIA

MEMBERS: WIPO ONLINE

SELF-CHECK COURSE

FOR INVENTORS

Opportunity for all inventors and IFIA members: WIPO Online self-check course for inventors
WIPO has developed a dedicated online course to help first-time inventors decide whether
their invention fulfills patentability requirements. The course is free of charge and anyone
who wishes can take it.

For inventors without a pending patent application, passing the online course is a prerequi-
site for working jointly with a pro bono patent attorney through the IAP.

IFIA has always struggled to ensure the protection of inventors’ rights, support them in the
procedure of invention commercialization, and raise awareness about the Patent Coopera-
tion Treaty and Intellectual Property rights through a wide range of activities such as orga-
nizing workshops, holding seminars, cooperating with other international organizations and
etc. To further assist the inventors in this regard, IFIA has managed to be the sponsor of The
World Economic Forum (WEF) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) In-
ventor Assistant Program (IAP) that is in parallel with the primary objectives of IFIA.

The principal goal of IAP is to bring as many under-resourced inventors as possible into their
local IP systems by giving them the knowledge, tools and means that they need to file com-
plete applications, undergo substantive examination, and ultimately enjoy the benefits of a
duly issued patent. Fundamental to this mission is the shared belief that creativity and great
ideas come from people of all walks of life, and that a truly successful IP system is therefore
one that is accessible to all, without regard to their socioeconomic status, geography or fi-
nancial means.

There are two paths of admission to IAP, one for pro se applicants who have filed a patent
application on their own behalf, and one for those inventors who have not yet filed an ap-
plication in the local patent office. For the first path, the local Patent Office will be respon-
sible for informing pro se applicants about the WIPO WEF IAP’s existence, eligibility criteria,
procedures and rules upon receipt of the pro se application. Each applicant will then decide

39