DAS (digital access service for priority documents) offers a simple and safe digital alternative to filing paper copies of priority documents with multiple patent Offices.   Using this service, an applicant of multiple second filings in foreign countries does not have to request and pay for multiple copies of paper priority documents, wait for them to arrive and send them to his agents in each country to pass on to the relevant Offices.  The applicant can just request the Office of first filing to deposit the patent application in a digital library, and then decide to make it available via DAS to any participating Office of second filing. 

    The State Intellectual Property Office of the PRC (SIPO) started to provide Digital Access Service for Priority Documents (DAS) from 1 March 2012.  The services provided by the SIPO include: 

1)     For a Chinese invention or utility model application (SIPO is the Office of First Filing), after it is approved to be filed in foreign countries, the applicant can request SIPO to prepare and deposit the application in the digital library to be accessed by other participating offices. 

       A request with SIPO to prepare and deposit priority documents into the digital library should be filed before expiration of the deadline to file the application in foreign countries with claiming priority.   

2)     For a Chinese invention or utility model application filed with the SIPO on or after March 1, 2012 (SIPO is the Office of Second Filing), which claims priority (ies) from foreign applications, the applicant may request SIPO to retrieve priority documents via DAS. 

       A request with SIPO to obtain priority documents via DAS should be filed within three months from Chinese filing date. 

    However, DAS is not applicable to national phase applications derived from PCT international applications. 

    The SIPO does not charge official fee for this service.

       Up to March 1, 2012, the participating patent offices include AU, DK, CN, ES, FI, GB, IB, JP, KR, SE, US, and EPO. 

 

More information can be found at:

WIPO: http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/priority_documents/

SIPO: http://www.sipo.gov.cn/pdoc/das/