PCT-Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program Begins January 29, 2010
January 29, 2010
PCT-Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Between USPTO and EPO (Pilot)
Under the PCT-Patent Prosecution Highway, an applicant receiving a written opinion or an international preliminary examination report from either the European Patent Office (EPO) or the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that at least one claim in a PCT application has novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability may request that the other office fast track the examination of corresponding claims in corresponding applications. The PCT-Patent Prosecution Highway will leverage fast-track patent examination procedures already available in both offices to allow applicants in both countries to obtain corresponding patents faster and more efficiently.
The trial period starts on January 29, 2010 and is set to expire January 28, 2012, but may be extended for additional time or terminated earlier depending on volume of activity and other factors. Both offices will provide notice of any adjustment in the pilot program.
For more information, please visit: http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/pct_pph_epo.jsp.
