The IP5 Offices have a long history of the electronic exchange of priority documents. The first such exchange was deployed between the JPO and EPO in 1999 using the so called Priority Document eXchange system (PDX). Today all IP5 Offices have deployed one or more PDX based priority document exchange links to other IP5 Offices.
Electronic priority document exchange has significantly reduced the burden on applicants because in many cases the offices can exchange the priority documents with no intervention by the applicant. In addition the electronic exchange between offices has increased the efficiency and quality of this part of the global patenting process.
Since 2009 WIPO has been offering for the exchange of priority documents an alternative to PDX, the WIPO Digital Access Service (DAS). The IP5 Offices consider that the DAS system possesses clear advantages over the PDX system and are coordinating efforts to migrate to DAS whilst ensuring that users retain all the benefits the existing PDX system offers.