Taiwan IP Office will issue electronic certificates for patents and trademarks starting in January 2023.

Going green has been a part of the government’s continuing efforts for modernization and sustainable development. For cutting down both paper usage and delivery costs and meanwhile enhancing the IP right holder’s convenience in document management, the Taiwan IP Office will start to offer patent and trademark certificates in electronic form from the beginning of next year. Particularly, the applicant will have the option to choose either a paper or an electronic certificate upon paying issue fees. By opting for the electronic format, the applicant may still request a paper copy if later needed (but not vice versa).

To summarize in short, after receiving a notice of issuance, the applicant is required to download the e-certificate in six (6) months from a specific webpage or in five (5) days via the E-SET platform (an electronic document delivery system). The e-certificate is issued as an encrypted PDF document with security measures. There will be a QR code on each e-certificate. By uploading the e-certificate to TIPO or scanning the QR code, one may quickly verify the document’s authenticity or even see the latest legal status of the associated patent/trademark right. In addition to grant, an e-certificate is also available upon re-issuance, recordation of patent assignment, inheritance, and trust.

More information and implementation regulations in detail in this regard may follow as the e-certificate approaches an official launch.