UK and China IP offices extend Patent Prosecution Highway PPH pilot programme
On 1 July 2016 the IPO and the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China will extend their PPH pilot programme.
The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot programme between the State Intellectual Property Office of the P.R.C (SIPO) and the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) started on 1 July 2014. The programme was due to expire on 30 June 2016.
To continue ensuring the benefits of expeditious, inexpensive and high-quality examination for applicants and the benefits of avoiding duplicative work and reducing the examination workload, the SIPO and the UKIPO will extend the PPH pilot programme for an indefinite time period. This will start on 1 July 2016. The present documents concerning the requirements and procedures of the PPH pilot programme shall continue to apply.
The PPH allows applicants who have been successful in obtaining a patent at one office to request accelerated processing of a corresponding application at the other. The second office can make use of the work undertaken by the first office to more quickly and efficiently process the application.
Footnotes:
The initial pilot Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme was launched today on 1st July 2014 between the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of the People’s Republic of China. The launch of the pilot programme followed the signing of a Joint Statement of Intent by the IPO and SIPO as part of the Prime Minister’s visit to China in December 2013.
The UK Intellectual Property Office has existing PPH agreements with the following organisations:
- IP Australia (IP Australia)
- Austrian Patent Office (APO)
- Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)
- Danish Patent and Trademark Office (DKPTO)
- Estonian Patent Office (EPA)
- Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH)
- German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA)
- Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (HIPO)
- Icelandic Patent Office (IPO)
- Israel Patent Office (ILPO)
- Japan Patent Office (JPO)
- Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO)
- Nordic Patent Institute (NPI)
- Norwegian Industrial Property Office (NIPO)
- Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (INPI)
- Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property (ROSPATENT)
- Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS)
- Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO)
- Swedish Patent and Registration Office (PRV)
- United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)