The JPO and the INPI agreed that they would commence the “PPH MOTTAINAI*”(patent prosecution highway pilot program with relaxed requirements) pilot program in January 2013.
*: PPH MOTTAINAI
This program is designed to allow patent applicants to file requests for an accelerated examination under the PPH with regard to applications that have been assumed as patentable by one of the participating patent offices, regardless of which office the application was first filed with. The PPH programs to date, accepted only PPH requests based on the examination results of the Office of First Filing, or the patent office with which the corresponding application was filed first. This restriction on PPH requests has created a “wasteful” (mottainai in Japanese) situation where useful examination outcomes are not fully utilized at the international level. Thus the pilot program was named “PPH MOTTAINAI.”
- <Contact Information>
- Examination Policy Planning Office
- Administrative Affairs Division
- First Patent Examination Department
- Japan Patent Office
- Tel: +81-3-3581-1101 (ex. 3103)
- E-mail: PA2260@jpo.go.jp
[Last updated 26 December 2012]
