Your (un)fair advantage

Patent Prosecution Highway leads to quicker grant of US, Japanese patents
16/01/2008

The United Stated Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) recently announced implementation of the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH), effective from 4 January 2008. According to a spokesperson at the JPO this decision follows after a pilot feasibility study of the PPH showed that the PPH streamlines patent prosecution and results in quicker grant of patents.

Under the PPH, if applicant has received a ruling from either the JPO or the USPTO that at least one claim in an application in patentable, such an applicant may request that the other office fast-track the examination of corresponding claims in corresponding applications. By basing the prosecution in the second office on a patentability ruling from the first office, applicants can expect to obtain patents from both offices faster.

Updated requirements for participation in the USPTO-JPO PPH at the USPTO will soon be made available at www.uspto.gov/web/patents/pph/pph_jpo.html.

Pieter Visagie
Candidate Attorney
pieterv@adamsadams.co.za
Adams & Adams

Jacques Loock
Partner
jal@adamsadams.co.za
Adams & Adams
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