The Committee for WIPO Standards completed its Sixth Session at the end of October. On the agenda were various items pertaining to the adoption and transition to WIPO ST.26.
Various items have been decided upon, including:
• The transition will happen via the "big bang" scenario in January 2022.
• The International Bureau will develop a new common software tool for preparation and verification of Sequence Listings
• The Task Force will support the International Bureau with user requirements and feedback on the software.
The EPO, JPO, KIPO and USPTO have outlined their plans as we approach 2022 and many strategic changes need to happen over the next three years in order for implementation to be successful including ST.26 software development, software testing, analysis/revisions of current processes, and implementation. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!