On September 4, 2026, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) announced that, following the signing of the “Memorandum of Understanding on Secure Exchange of Patent Data” between the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States and the American Institute in Taiwan on November 22, 2023, TIPO and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) have completed the necessary preparatory work, including service setup and the establishment of interconnected information systems. Consequently, the “Taiwan-U.S. Priority Document Exchange (PDX) Program” was officially launched on September 4, 2026, marking a new chapter in cross-border patent examination cooperation.
 
TIPO explained that patent authorities worldwide are committed to fostering cooperation to enhance the efficiency of patent filing procedures for multinational applicants. Since 2013, Taiwan has successively launched PDX services with Japan and South Korea. These services streamline the process of submitting priority documents for cross-border applications claiming priority, thereby saving applicants the time and costs associated with submitting paper documents while also facilitating the patent examination process.
 
TIPO further noted that the United States has long been the top destination for Taiwanese applicants filing patent applications abroad, with approximately 20,000 applications filed annually. Conversely, U.S. applicants file around 7,000 patent applications in Taiwan each year, ranking second among foreign applicants. To further simplify patent application procedures for applicants from both Taiwan and the United States and to continue expanding TIPO’s cooperation with major patent offices, Taiwan and the United States successfully launched the PDX service on September 4, 2026. Where an applicant requests electronic exchange, the two offices can now exchange priority documents directly by electronic means. This significantly reduces the burden on applicants, makes it more convenient for Taiwanese applicants to file patent applications in the United States and for U.S. applicants to file in Taiwan, and creates mutual benefits for applicants on both sides.
 
The Taiwan-U.S. PDX Program is summarized below.
 

1. The main points of the procedure where TIPO is the Office of First Filing are as follows:

1. An applicant who has filed a patent application with TIPO and wishes to file a subsequent patent application with the USPTO while claiming priority may apply to TIPO for an access code for the Taiwanese application.
2. The applicant may indicate, in a request for a priority document, that an access code is requested. No official fee is required.
3. When the applicant files the subsequent patent application with the USPTO while claiming priority based on the Taiwanese application, the applicant may submit the access code, which shall be deemed to constitute submission of the priority document.

 

2. The main points of the procedure where TIPO is the Office of Second Filing are as follows:

1. (1.) An applicant who has filed a patent application with the USPTO and wishes to file a subsequent patent application with TIPO while claiming priority may apply to the USPTO for an access code for the U.S. application.
2. (2.) When the applicant files the subsequent patent application with TIPO while claiming priority based on the U.S. application, the applicant may submit the access code, which shall be deemed to constitute submission of the priority document.
3. (3.)The access code shall be submitted within the statutory period calculated from the earliest priority date, which is 16 months for invention or utility model patent applications and 10 months for design patent applications.

 

3. Where TIPO fails to receive the correct electronic file of the priority document within the statutory period due to factors not attributable to the applicant (such as network transmission issues or system malfunctions) but subsequently obtains the file through coordination with the USPTO, the applicant shall be deemed to have submitted the priority document within the statutory period.

 

4. Where TIPO fails to obtain the correct electronic file of the priority document due to factors attributable to the applicant (such as errors in the access code provided or in the details of the prior application), TIPO shall notify the applicant to correct the information or submit a paper copy of the priority document within two months. Failure to do so by the deadline shall be deemed a failure to submit the priority document.

 

5. The program also applies to patent applications filed prior to its effective date.

 
More details on the Taiwan-U.S. PDX Program are available on TIPO’s website.
 
(Translated and elaborated from a news release published on TIPO’s official website.)