Patent Prosecution Highway program between the JPO and the USPTO

The JPO and the USPTO has commenced the full-implemented Patent Prosecution Highway program on 4 January 2008. Following an agreement at the Trilateral Conference held in Kyoto on 13 November 2009, the both offices will commence the PPH program using PCT international work products (Written Opinion (WO) and International Preliminary Examination Report (IPER)) on pilot basis on 29 January 2010. The revision of the guideline this time also includes a streamlining of a part of the current requirements. Please see "Expansion of eligible applications and reduction of proceeding requirements in Patent Prosecution Highway between the JPO and the USPTO" for your reference.

(At the Trilateral Conference in November 2009: Ms. Brimelow, Commissioner of the EPO, Mr. Hosono, Commissioner of the JPO and Mr. Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO)

The requirements to participate in the PPH program and the procedures to request to each of the JPO and the USPTO are described in the following guideline documents.

- Patent Prosecution Highway Requests to the JPO

・PPH using US national work products or PCT international work products

• (Effective 29 January 2010) Procedures for filing a request to the JPO for Patent Prosecution Highway pilot program
  (English <PDF  285KB>) (Japanese <PDF  306KB>)
• Example forms for "Explanation of circumstances concerning accelerated examination"(Japanese)

- Patent Prosecution Highway Requests to the USPTO

・PPH using JP national work products

• Notice on the Patent Prosecution Highway program
  (English <PDF  533KB>) (Japanese <PDF  67KB>)
• (Effective 29 January 2010) Revised requirements for the Patent Prosecution Highway program
  (coming soon)
• Request Form to the USPTO for Patent Prosecution Highway pilot program
  ("Request for participation in the PPH program between the JPO and the USPTO"<PDF 583KB>)

・PPH using PCT international work products (PCT-PPH)

• (Effective 29 January 2010) Notice on the Patent Prosecution Highway pilot program
  (coming soon)
• Request Form to the USPTO for Patent Prosecution Highway pilot program
  (coming soon)

- Link

USPTO website about the Patent Prosecution Highway pilot program

Development of the PPH program between the JPO and the USPTO

• -The full implementation of Patent Prosecution Highway program between the JPO and the USPTO [Dec 2007]
• -The extension of PPH pilot program between the JPO and the USPTO [Jun 2007]
• -The expansion of eligible applications for PPH pilot program to PCT applications [May 2007]
• -Revised Requirements for Requesting Participation in the Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program in the USPTO [Jan 2007]
• -Expanding of Eligibility for PPH in the JPO [Nov 2006]

-Japanese page

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[Last updated 29 January 2010]