Global PPH

Outline

The Global Patent Prosecution Highway (Global PPH or GPPH) is a plurilateral PPH pilot program covering three types of PPH. The program makes the Normal PPH, the PPH MOTTAINAI, and the PCT-PPH available between any two participating Offices.

Background

Since the start of the bilareral PPH, users had requested the standardization of office-specific requirements to make the PPH more accessible.

To improve user convenience, Plurilateral PPH Heads of Office Meetings and Working-Level Meetings had been ongoing since February 2009, resulting in the launch of the Global PPH pilot among 17 Offices in January 2014.

The Japan Patent Office (JPO) currently serves as the Secretariat of the Global PPH.

Global PPH participating Offices

As of July 6, 2024, 28 Offices have participated in the program.

APO
(Austria)
CIPO
(Canada)
DKPTO
(Denmark)
DPMA
(Germany)
EPA
(Estonia)
HIPO
(Hungary)
ILPO
(Israel)
INAPI
(Chile)
INDECOPI
(Peru)
INPI
(Brazil)
INPI
(Portugal)
IP Australia
(Australia)
IPONZ
(New Zealand)
IPOS
(Singapore)
ISIPO
(Iceland)
JPO
(Japan)
KIPO
(South Korea)
NIPO
(Norway)
NPI
(Nordic)
OEPM
(Spain)
PPO
(Poland)
PRH
(Finland)
PRV
(Sweden)
ROSPATENT
(Russia)
SIC
(Colombia)
UKIPO
(UK)
USPTO
(USA)
VPI
(Visegrad)

Framework Provisions for the Global Patent Prosecution Highway System

  1. In order to further improve the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) system by enhancing its attractiveness to applicants and increasing associated efficiencies for intellectual property offices, the offices listed in the document titled "Global Patent Prosecution Highway System Participating Offices" (Annex A (43KB)) have decided to participate in a Global PPH (GPPH) pilot arrangement according to the criteria set out in the document titled "Global PPH Pilot Criteria" (Annex B (111KB) and with reference to the "Global PPH Principles" (Annex C (117KB)).
  2. The GPPH pilot will commence on Monday 6th January 2014.
  3. The participating offices will periodically evaluate and exchange information on the status and effectiveness of the GPPH pilot, and may consider modifying the GPPH pilot on the basis of the evaluation results.
  4. New offices wishing to join the GPPH pilot can apply to join at one of two points in every year - on the 6th January or on the 6th July. In order to be eligible to join, an office must declare its interest in joining the GPPH to the Secretariat no later than two months before these dates in order to allow existing members time to prepare for the expansion of the GPPH network. Requests to join the GPPH should be accompanied by the standard letter (Annex G (25KB)), provided on the Office's headed paper and signed by the Head of Office. The Secretariat will then circulate a copy of this letter to all other existing GPPH offices.
  5. Offices wishing to participate in the pilot will, using the required format, provide the GPPH Secretariat with requested information including an outline of their patent application processes, quality assurance processes, and their examination practices, for consolidation into a comparative guide to practices at all participating offices.
  6. This framework may be amended at any time with the consent of all the participating offices involved.
  7. Offices participating in the pilot reserve the right to limit or end their participation in the GPPH pilot at any stage by giving written notice not less than one month prior to the date of withdrawal.
Annex A (43KB) Annex B (111KB) Annex C (117KB) Annex D (6KB) Annex E (28KB) Annex F (109KB) Annex G (25KB)

How to file a GPPH request

For request procedures and requirements, see the website of the relevant Office.

March 11, 2022
The USPTO(USA) announces that it will no longer grant requests to participate in the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) at the USPTO when such requests are based on work performed by Rospatent as an Office of Earlier Examination under the GPPH. Please refer to the USPTO website.
March 21, 2022
The CIPO(Canada) announces that it will no longer accelerate examination under the provisions of the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) when such requests are based on work performed by the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) as the Office of Earlier Examination. Please refer to the CIPO website">.
May 10, 2022
The JPO(Japan) announces that it will no longer entitle applications to the status of an accelerated examination under the PPH based on work performed by ROSPATENT as an Office of Earlier Examination (OEE). Please refer to the JPO website.
September 1, 2022
The German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) announces that it will no longer accelerate examinations under the provision of the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) when such requests are based on examination results by the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) as the Office of Earlier Examination. Please refer to the DPMA website.

A list of requirements of all participating Offices (as of January 2025) is available.

Inquiries about the Global PPH: Secretariat (JPO)