JPO and INPI Agreed at JPO-INPI Heads Meeting to Renew Japan-Brazil PPH Pilot Program

November 11, 2021

On November 9, 2021, Mr. MORI, Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office (JPO) held an online meeting with Mr. FURTADO, President of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) of Brazil.

In the meeting, the two offices discussed various subjects such as launching the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)* for PCT international filings (PCT-PPH**); further improving user-friendliness of the Japan-Brazil PPH Pilot Program; and formulating future initiatives between the two offices.

Also, in order to renew the current Japan-Brazil PPH Pilot Program that will expire at the end of November 2021, the heads of the two offices signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in this regard.

Going forward, the JPO will further deepen the cooperative relationship with the INPI and advance initiatives that will be very beneficial for users of the two offices.

 

Commissioner MORI in a Meeting with President FURTADO of the INPI

 

Signing of Renewed MOC

 

*PPH: The PPH is a cooperative framework under which, when claims in applications have been determined to be patentable at the office of first filing (OFF), i.e. the office where applicants filed their applications first, corresponding applications filed in PPH participating offices of the second filing (OSFs), i.e. offices that have implemented PPH programs with the OFF, will undergo accelerated examinations based on simplified procedures when applicants request accelerated examinations.

**PCT-PPH: Under the PCT-PPH program, examination conducted under a PPH program can be requested based on using a written opinion established by a specified International Searching Authority (WO/ISA) or a written opinion or international preliminary examination report established by a specified International Preliminary Examining Authority (WO/IPEA or IPER). For further information, please refer to the following URL.

PCT-PPH

[Last updated 11 November 2021]