On Thursday, June 9, 2022, the Intellectual Property Office held the webinar on the topic “List of biological sequences in the patent application – in anticipation of the new WIPO Standard ST. 26.”. Different information presented at the webinar are important for the drafting of the patent applications referring to the inventions in the field of biotechnology disclosing amino acid and nucleotide sequences. Webinar was thus intended both for the researchers in the field of biotechnology as well as the patent representatives and the broader public.
The detailed differences between the valid standard for the display of the list of biological sequences WIPO ST. 25 and the new standard WIPO ST.26, entering into force on July 1, 2022, have been shown. The participants have had the opportunity to meet with the importance of the list of sequences as part of the description of the patent application, and the use of tools prepared by the WIPO has been displayed: for the patent applicants WIPO Sequence tools, and for the offices WIPO Sequence Validator. The novelty of the biological sequence has been discussed in particular with regard to its filing to the gene bank and the additional risks from the refusal of patent application, if the sequence contains mistake in the list.