Adoption Of 3D In IP Filing

On December 06, 2023, the Eurasian Patent Office instituted a ground breaking stride in IP system by adopting the WIPO Standardisation termed- ST.91. This standardisation provides recommendations for Intellectual Property Offices (IPOs) and other interested parties that manage, store, process, exchange or disseminate IP data using digital three-dimensional (3D) models and 3D images. A standardized format for 3D models and images for Industrial Design has been officially approved. This represents a significant milestone in the field of IP protection done by EAPO.
WIPO ST.91 encourages applicants to include a 3D visual depiction of their object, either as supplementary material or as the primary representation, aligning with specific Intellectual Property Office (IPO) requirements. It is prescribed to choose any one of the following formats for these representations- STEP, IGES, U3D, OBJ or STL. The EAPO has selected the STEP format (.step, .stp), based on the approach adopted by FIPS- Federal Institute for Industrial Property (Rospatent). STEP is recognized as a standard data exchange format within the Computer Aided Design (CAD) industry. This format facilitates the seamless transfer of real-world mechanical and architectural designs across various CAD software tools.
Advantages of the implementation of such standardisation are as follows:
• Simplification of pre-filing preparation for applicants by identifying compatible software format in advance; which for EAPO is the STEP format.
• Faster processing time for IP applications within IPOs.
• The IP application filing across multiple IPOs will become more efficient through the adoption of the recommended format.
• IPOs and related organisations in charge of IP rights will work together better in terms of sharing digital 3D visuals.

In a remarkable stride forward, EAPO has actively supported the integration of 3D model filing and processing, either wholly or partially, within the IPOs of- Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Armenia, Kyrgyz Republic.
The implementation of WIPO Standard ST.91 heralds a new era in IP protection methodologies, promising increased efficiency, harmonization, and accessibility across diverse IPOs, paving the way for more comprehensive and standardized protection of intellectual properties embracing the realm of 3D visualization.