WIPO - PCT Applicant's Guide PA - Panama
Directorate General of the Industrial Property Registry (DIGERPI) (Panama)

Applicable as from 1 July 2024
(published on 6 September 2024)

Summary of latest changes in this version
RO: RO fees

Consult the full list of the changes

Previous version(s): You can consult previous versions of the document. The only applicable version is the current version.
15 Sep 2023, 1 Nov 2023, 1 Jan 2024, 1 Mar 2024, Current Version
Advance notice: The Office has notified the IB of changes entering into force soon; you can already consult the changes that will be effective from 1 Dec 2024.

Useful information

The PCT Applicant’s Guide is updated almost every week with information received by the International Bureau.
In case of question, please contact the Office or the International Bureau: pct.guide@wipo.int.
List of abbreviations used in this document:
Office: Directorate General of the Industrial Property Registry (DIGERPI) (Panama)
List of currencies used in this document:
USD (US dollar)
Countries and Offices information:
The list of acronyms used for Offices is no longer shown as it has been integrated in the mouseover functionality for each ST.3 code shown in this document.
Refer to List of WIPO Standards, Recommendations and Guidelines formerly Annex K, List of country names and two-letter codes. It includes a list of short names and two-letter codes accepted for use in indicating States, other entities and intergovernmental organizations and their Offices in documents relating to international applications under the PCT. The list is as set out in WIPO Standard ST.3.
Also refer to PCT Contracting States formerly Annex A.
Office profile
For more technical information about the Office, refer to ePCT Office profile.
PCT Reservations, Declarations, Notifications and Incompatibilities
The Office does not have any reservations, declarations, notifications or incompatibilities.
Refer to the full list.
Office Closed dates
The Office is closed weekly on Saturday and Sunday
Additional closed dates can be consulted on the Office Closed dates page

International Phase

Annex B - Information on Contracting States or Intergovernmental Organization

Contracting State:
Panama
Two-letter code:
PA
Panama - Directorate General of the Industrial Property Registry (DIGERPI) (Panama)
Name of Office:
Directorate General of the Industrial Property Registry (DIGERPI) (Panama)
Location:
Avenida Ricardo J. Alfaro
edificio Plaza Edison
2.o piso
Panama
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 0815-01119
Zona 4
Panama
Telephone:
(507) 560 07 05
(507) 560 59 36
E-mail:
dgrpi@mici.gob.pa
epct@mici.gob.pa
Website:
Facsimile:
(507) 317 61 70
Does the Office accept the filing of documents by facsimile or the like means (PCT Rule 92.4)?
No
Does the Office send notifications via e-mail in respect of international applications?
No
Would the Office accept evidence of mailing a document, in case of loss or delay, where a delivery service other than the postal authorities is used (PCT Rule 82.1)?
No
Is the Office prepared to allow applicants to make applications available to the WIPO Digital Access Service for Priority Documents (DAS) (PCT Rule 17.1(b-bis)?
No
Competent receiving Office(s) for international applications filed by nationals or residents of this State:
IB
International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) - International Bureau of WIPO
, 
PA
Panama - Directorate General of the Industrial Property Registry (DIGERPI) (Panama)
Does national legislation restrict the filing of international applications with foreign Offices?
Refer to the Office
Competent designated (or elected) Office(s) for this State:
Refer to corresponding National Phase.
PA
Panama - Directorate General of the Industrial Property Registry (DIGERPI) (Panama)
Types of protection available via the PCT:
Patents, 
Patents of addition, 
Utility models
Availability under the national law for an international-type search (PCT Article 15):
None
Provisional protection after international publication:
None
Information of interest if this Contracting State is designated (or elected)
Time when the name and address of the inventor must be given:
Must be in the request. If not already complied with within the time limit applicable under PCT Article 22 or 39(1), the Office will invite the applicant to comply with the requirement within a time limit fixed in the invitation.
Are there special provisions concerning the deposit of microorganisms and other biological material?
Yes, refer to Annex L.

Annex C - Receiving Office

Competent receiving Office for nationals and residents of:
Panama
Language in which international applications may be filed:
Depending on the applicant’s choice of competent International Searching Authority, a translation into a corresponding language (refer to Annex D) may have to be furnished by the applicant (PCT Rule 12.3)
Spanish
Language accepted for language-dependent free text in the sequence listing:
Same as above
Language in which the request may be filed:
Spanish
Number of copies required by the receiving Office if application filed on paper:
3
Does the receiving Office accept the filing of international applications in electronic form?
For the relevant notifications by the Office, refer to the Official Notices (PCT Gazette) dated 20 October 2016, pages 207 et seq. and 27 October 2022, pages 291 et seq.
Where the international application is filed in electronic form in accordance with and to the extent provided for in Part 7 and Annex F of the Administrative Instructions, the total amount of the international filing fee is reduced (refer to “Fees payable to the RO”).
Where the international application contains a sequence listing as a separate part of the description, this should be furnished in accordance with Annex C of the Administrative Instructions, that is, in compliance with WIPO Standard ST.26 XML format; no fees are due for sequence listings filed in this format.
Yes, the Office accepts electronic filing via ePCT-Filing
Does the receiving Office accept requests for restoration of the right of priority (PCT Rule 26bis.3)?
Yes, the Offifce applies the “due care” criterion to such requests
Competent International Searching Authority:
BR
Brazil - National Institute of Industrial Property (Brazil)
, 
CL
Chile - National Institute of Industrial Property (Chile)
, 
EP
European Patent Organisation - European Patent Office (EPO)
, 
ES
Spain - Spanish Patent and Trademark Office
, 
US
United States of America - United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Competent International Preliminary Examining Authority:
BR
Brazil - National Institute of Industrial Property (Brazil)
, 
ES
Spain - Spanish Patent and Trademark Office

CL
Chile - National Institute of Industrial Property (Chile)
, 
US
United States of America - United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

The Office is competent only if the international search is or has been carried out by that Office.
EP
European Patent Organisation - European Patent Office (EPO)
The Office is competent only if the international search is or has been carried out by that Office or by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.
Fees payable to the RO:
Transmittal fee:
240 USD
International filing fee:
This fee is reduced by 90% if certain conditions apply (refer to Annex C(IB)).
1,457 USD
Fee per sheet in excess of 30:
16 USD
Reductions (under Schedule of Fees, item 4):
Electronic filing (the request in character coded format):
219 USD
Electronic filing (the request, description, claims and abstract in character coded format):
329 USD
Search fee:
Refer to
Annex D(BR)
Annex D(CL)
Annex D(EP)
Annex D(ES)
Annex D(US)
Fee for priority document (PCT Rule 17.1(b)):
60 USD
Fee for requesting restoration of the right of priority (PCT Rule 26bis.3(d)):
480 USD
Is an agent required by the receiving Office?
Yes
Who can act as agent?
Any attorney or lawyer registered in Panama
Waiver of power of attorney:
Waivers of powers of attorney do not apply (PCT Rule 90.4(e) and 90.5(d)) where the agent or common representative submits any notice of withdrawal during the international phase (PCT Rule 90bis.1 to 90bis.4, also refer to International Phase, paragraph 11.048).
Has the Office waived the requirement that a separate power of attorney be submitted?
No
Particular instances in which a separate power of attorney is required:
Not applicable
Has the Office waived the requirement that a copy of a general power of attorney be submitted?
No
Particular instances in which a copy of a general power of attorney is required:
Not applicable

Annex L - Deposits of Microorganisms and Other Biological Material

Requirements of designated and elected Offices
Only Offices whose applicable national law contains provisions concerning the deposits of microorganisms and other biological material are listed in Annex L. Unless otherwise indicated, deposits may be made for the purposes of patent procedure before these Offices with any depositary institution having acquired the status of international depositary authority under the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure.
For a list of these institutions refer to:
http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/registration/budapest/pdf/idalist.pdf (and the detailed requirements for each institution at: https://www.wipo.int/budapest/en/guide/section_d/subsection_c.html)
Notifications related thereto may be consulted under:
http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/registration/budapest/
Further information concerning the requirements of international depository authorities under the Budapest Treaty is available at:
http://www.wipo.int/budapest/en/guide/index.html
Time (if any) earlier than 16 months from priority date by which applicant must furnish:
— the indications prescribed in Rule 13bis.3(a)(i) to (iii):
None
— any additional indications:
At the time of filing (as part of the application)
Additional indications (if any) which must be given besides those prescribed in Rule 13bis.3(a)(i) to (iii) pursuant to notifications from the Office:
Copy of the certificate of deposit and authorization to view the deposited biological material

National Phase

Summary of requirements for entry into the national phase

Time limits applicable for entry into the national phase:
Under PCT Article 22(1): 30 months from the priority date
Under PCT Article 39(1)(a): 30 months from the priority date
Translation of international application required into (one of) the following language(s):
Must be furnished within the time limit applicable under PCT Article 22 or 39(1).
Spanish
Required contents of the translation for entry into the national phase:
Must be furnished within the time limit applicable under PCT Article 22 or 39(1).
Under PCT Article 22: Description, claims (if amended, as amended only, together with any statement under PCT Article 19), any text matter of drawings, abstract
Under PCT Article 39(1): Description, claims, any text matter of drawings, abstract (if any of those parts has been amended, only as amended by the annexes to the international preliminary examination report)
Is a copy of the international application required in particular circumstances?
Yes
National fees:
Patents
Filing fee
128.50 USD
Utility models
Filing fee
78.50 USD
Exemptions, reductions or refunds of fees:
Please refer to the Office for further details.
Where the applicant is also the inventor and his economic situation prevents him from paying the full amount of the fees, he may be entitled to only pay 10% of the filing fee
Special requirements of the Office (PCT Rule 51bis):
Name and address of the inventor if they have not been furnished in the “Request” part of the international application
This requirement may be satisfied if the corresponding declaration has been made in accordance with PCT Rule 4.17.
If not already complied with within the time limit applicable under PCT Article 22 or 39(1), the Office will invite the applicant to comply with the requirement within a time limit of six months from the date of the invitation.
Declaration as to the applicant’s entitlement to apply for and be granted a patent
This requirement may be satisfied if the corresponding declaration has been made in accordance with PCT Rule 4.17.
If not already complied with within the time limit applicable under PCT Article 22 or 39(1), the Office will invite the applicant to comply with the requirement within a time limit of six months from the date of the invitation.
Declaration as to the applicant’s entitlement to claim priority of the earlier application
This requirement may be satisfied if the corresponding declaration has been made in accordance with PCT Rule 4.17.
If not already complied with within the time limit applicable under PCT Article 22 or 39(1), the Office will invite the applicant to comply with the requirement within a time limit of six months from the date of the invitation.
Document evidencing a change of name of the applicant if the change occurred after the international filing date
If not already complied with within the time limit applicable under PCT Article 22 or 39(1), the Office will invite the applicant to comply with the requirement within a time limit of six months from the date of the invitation.
Translation to be furnished in three copies
If not already complied with within the time limit applicable under PCT Article 22 or 39(1), the Office will invite the applicant to comply with the requirement within a time limit of six months from the date of the invitation.
Representation by an attorney or a lawyer registered in Panama
Instrument appointing the agent (authorization or power of attorney)
Who can act as agent?
Any attorney or lawyer registered in Panama
Does the Office accept requests for restoration of the right of priority (PCT Rule 49ter.2)?
Yes, the Office applies the “due care” criterion to such requests

The procedure in the national Phase

Information not yet available

Annexes

Annex PA.I - Fees
Information not yet available
Forms
Please refer to the Office.
Current version applicable from 1 Jul 2024 , printed on 21 Nov 2024
2.0 #63 - 2024-11-04T12:26:35.870+01:00