Patent Prosecution Highway using PCT international work products

Examination Policy Planning Office

The JPO has commenced the PPH programs using the PCT international work products (PCT-PPH) on pilot basis since 29 January 2010.

Under these programs, an accelerated examination can be requested using a written opinion established by certain International Searching Authorities (WO/ISA), a written opinion established by certain International Preliminary Examining Authorities (WO/IPEA) or an international preliminary examination report (IPER) established by certain International Preliminary Examining Authorities.

【Major requirements for the participation in PCT-PPH】

(1)At least one claim is determined/indicated to be allowable/patentable^*1 in WO/ISA, WO/IPEA^*2 or IPER

(2)All claims on file for examination under the PCT-PPH sufficiently correspond to those claims determined/indicated to be allowable/patentable in WO/ISA, WO/IPEA^*2 or IPER.

(3)Examination of the application which the PCT-PPH is requested for has not begun. (This requirement doesn’t exist in some offices.)

*1 Claim(s) are indicated to have novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability (See each guideline where any observation is described in Box Ⅷ). See guidelines below for further details.

*2 Not eligible when filing with the EPO.

See also each PPH program’s page in order to check each PCT-PPH guideline.

PCT-PPH Requests to the JPO where the JPO is the ISA or IPEA

Guideline (Requirements and procedures in detail) (Japanese <PDF 195KB>) (English <PDF 190KB>)

Request form (Explanation of circumstances concerning accelerated examination)

Japanese Page

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[Last updated 20 June 2012]