How to file a request using only “Explanation of Circumstances Concerning Accelerated Examination” (without a PPH Request Form)

To file a PPH request with the JPO, the applicant must submit an “Explanation of Circumstances Concerning Accelerated Examination” by attaching a “Request for Participation in the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot Program” (PPH Request Form). However, if the applicant cannot use a PPH Request Form for technical reasons, they can file a request using only an Explanation of Circumstances Concerning Accelerated Examination to provide required information. Please refer to the following completion examples supplemented by some notes.

Common notes for online and paper filing

If there is any document which can be omitted to be submitted, create an item named “Documents omitted to be submitted” and make a list of documents omitted as in the example below. Do not use brackets such as bold black-faced parentheses to emphasize the field title.
All documents required to be submitted (incl. all office actions, claims indicated as patentable, documents cited by OEE examiner, claim correspondence table) must be mentioned in either “Documents omitted to be submitted” or “List of submitted documents.” Please note that the names of all documents required to be submitted need to be provided whether or not documents are omitted.

The “Content” of the “The list of attached documents” is completed by entering text or attaching image, but ruled lines cannot be drawn. To submit a claim correspondence table, attach it as image or enter its text without ruled lines.
Document names must be the same in “The name of the document” under “The list of submitted documents” and “The list of attached documents.”
”The name of the document” must be 50 letters or shorter and must not contain any spaces. If a space is necessary, give a general name such as “Attachment 1” and provide a precise name in the field of “1. Circumstances.”
When omitting to submit documents by referring to previously submitted documents, provide their names in “The name of the document” under “The list of submitted documents,” and create the field “indication of reference” to indicate the relevant reference (if referring to a patent right, indicate patent number, document name, and document submission date). For documents referred to, do not fill “The name of the document” and “Content” under “The list of attached documents.”