Global Patent Protection Highway Pilot Expands – New Agreements with Austria and Singapore

The Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) pilot is expanding! On November 1, 2014 the Austrian Patent Office (APO) and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) joined the GPPH. The addition of these two offices increases the number of countries participating in the pilot, which began in January 2014, to 19.

Under the GPPH, a request for accelerated processing can be made to any or all of the participating offices, including the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), based on the work products from another participating office, providing the eligibility requirements are met.

The GPPH benefits both applicants and intellectual property offices by simplifying the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) process and making it more accessible. It also streamlines and harmonizes the guidelines used in examining patents by participating offices. Offices benefit from previous work done by participating offices, which reduces their examination workload, and allows applicants to obtain their patent(s) faster, at no additional charge to regular fees.