About IP5
In 2007, the combination of the emergence of two major new players - China and Korea - with the continuing rise in patent applications and the ensuing effect on backlogs led to the formation of the "IP5": the three Trilateral Offices plus the patent offices of the People's Republic of China (SIPO) and South Korea (KIPO).
The focus of the IP5 activities is on work-sharing, and ways of avoiding the unnecessary duplication of work. As with the Trilateral Cooperation, the heads of the IP5 Offices meet annually to decide on strategy and review progress.
