The “Trial Program for Accelerated Examination of Invention Patents Filed by Female Applicants” launched by the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) on July 1, 2025 is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2026. During the trial period, female applicants using the program have received examination results in an average of 44.2 days from the date of filing a request under the program, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness. To encourage women to engage in innovation and invention and to expedite their access to patent protection, TIPO has, after assessing its examination capacity, amended the program to extend the trial period until June 30, 2027.
 
Apart from the extension of the trial period, all other aspects of the program remains unchanged. A summary is provided below.
 
The program applies to invention patent applications in which all applicants are natural persons, and at least one applicant is a woman who is also the inventor or one of the inventors.
 
A request to participate in the program must meet the following requirements:

1. The request must be filed by a female applicant who is the inventor or one of the inventors of the patent application.
2. If the female applicant holds ROC nationality, her identification number must be provided. If she is a foreign national, evidence of her gender must be submitted.
3. The request must be filed through TIPO’s e-filing system.
4. The request must be filed within the period between the service of TIPO’s notice indicating that examination will commence shortly and the service of the first examination report.

 
The maximum number of requests that TIPO will accept during the trial period is 50. The monthly quota is five requests in each of the first two months and four requests per month thereafter. If the monthly quota is reached, applicants must wait until the following month to submit a request. Additionally, the same female applicant may file up to five requests under the program during the trial period.
 
Filing a request under the program will not incur any official fees. If the request satisfies the applicable requirements, TIPO will expedite examination and issue an examination report or render a decision within six months from the date the request is filed. If the request does not meet the requirements, TIPO will notify the applicant and proceed with the examination according to the standard procedure.
 
(Translated and elaborated from a news release published on TIPO’s official website)