WIPO-Backed Patent Examination Reform Puts Mexico’s IMPI on a Faster Track

The World Intellectual Property Organization approved the designation of Mexico’s IMPI as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority, while Mexico also introduced a legal change setting a maximum one-year period for the final decision on patent, utility model, and design applications after substantive examination begins.[2]

For technology inventors and companies operating across major markets, the move signals a faster and more standardized route through the patent system, with the potential to reduce uncertainty in the examination phase.[2]

• The IMPI designation strengthens Mexico’s role in the international patent framework and expands its capacity to handle PCT-related search and examination work.[2]
• The new one-year deadline is intended to accelerate decisions on grant or refusal, which may improve predictability for high-tech filings.[2]
• The reform matters beyond Mexico because it affects applications tied to international patent strategy and cross-border innovation pipelines.[2]