The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is a framework that facilitates simplified procedures and expedited prosecutions at secondary offices (subsequent offices) for patent applications of inventions that have already been determined to be patentable at a primary office (preceding office), based on the agreements set up between the respective patent offices.
Furthermore, an application for expedited prosecution (PCT-PPH) is possible even when an international application has been made with the PCT, by using the statement of opinion prepared by a particular international searching authority (WO/ISA) or the statement of opinion prepared by a particular international preliminary examining authority (WO/IPEA) or an international preliminary examination report (IPER).
Advantages of utilizing PPH
The advantage of the Patent Prosecution Highway is that it can reduce the number of Office Actions issued by the patent office and the accelerate the proceduce up the grant of the patent rights, since the handled application has already been indicated as patentable by a Primary Office (preceding office). The Patent Prosecution Highway is expected to improve the grant possibility.
Tsubame IP Law Firm offers assistance to clients who want to have rapid acquisition of their patent rights in Japan. The Patent Prosecution Highway program has been established between the patent offices of many countries and the possibility of grant for applications that were granted in other countries is also increasing.
Even when there is particular case where the Patent Prosecution Highway program is not available, it is still possible to apply for an expedited prosecution using a domestic program in Japan.
