Global Prosecution Reference
Examination Practice Reference of Major Global Patent Offices
A comparison of office actions, common grounds of rejection and response essentials across nine patent offices — for patent agencies and international application teams. This page is a practice reference and does not constitute legal advice; for individual cases, please consult the patent agent handling the case.
Grounds of rejection comparison across nine offices
| Patent office | Notification name | Main statutory basis |
|---|---|---|
| CNIPA | China National Intellectual Property Administration · Office Action | Patent Law, Articles 2, 5, 9, 22, 25, 26, 31 and 33 |
| USPTO | United States Patent and Trademark Office · Office Action | 35 U.S.C. §§ 101, 102, 103, 112; double patenting |
| EPO | European Patent Office · Communication / Examination Report | EPC Articles 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 82, 83, 84, 123(2) |
| JPO | Japan Patent Office · Notice of Reasons for Refusal | Patent Act, Articles 29, 29-2, 32, 36, 37, 39, 17-2 |
| KIPO | Korean Intellectual Property Office · Notice of Grounds for Rejection | Patent Act, Articles 29, 32, 36, 42, 45 and 47 |
| DPMA | German Patent and Trade Mark Office · Prüfungsbescheid (examination opinion) | PatG Articles 1, 3, 4, 34-38, 39 |
| INPI（FR） | Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle (France) · Rapport de recherche / Objections | CPI L.611-10, L.611-11, L.611-14, L.612-5 |
| TIPO | Taiwan Intellectual Property Office · Office Action / Examination Opinion | Patent Act, Articles 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 31, 33 and 43 |
| IP Australia | IP Australia · Examination Report | Patents Act 1990 ss. 18, 40, 50 |
Office action response deadlines across offices
The deadlines stated in each office's notification prevail; for deadline management, combine your firm's calendar with each office's rules.
| Patent office | Response deadline | Extension notes |
|---|---|---|
| CNIPA | 4 months for the first office action; 2 months for subsequent ones | Extensions restricted; requires a reasonable reason and a fee |
| USPTO | 3 months (from the mailing date of the office action) | Extensions by month for a fee, up to 6 months in total (absolute cap) |
| EPO | 4 months (Art. 94(3) Communication) | An extension of 2 months may be requested before expiry; after expiry, further processing may be requested (with fee) |
| JPO | 3 months | Extensions up to 3 months in total (2 months then 1 month, each with a fee) |
| KIPO | 4 months for the first (from 2025-07-11); 3 months for a final rejection | Extensions up to 4 months (monthly fee) |
| DPMA | Per the deadline stated in the notification | Varies by case; manage per the notification |
| INPI（FR） | Per the deadline stated in the notification | Varies by case; manage per the notification |
| TIPO | Per the deadline stated in the notification | Varies by case; manage per the notification |
| IP Australia | Usually within 12 months (Examination Report) | Extension may be requested (with fee) |
Statutes and examination practice change with revisions; for individual cases, refer to the latest official texts. This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.