Intellectual Property Update: Patent Prosecution Highway

16 Jan 2015

The Patent Prosecution Highway (“PPH”) is a programme that allows for the sharing of search and examination results between participating patent offices. The goal is to allow applicants in participating countries to obtain corresponding patents quickly.

With effect from 6 January 2015, the European Patent Office (“EPO”) has entered into a PPH arrangement that is similar to the existing PPH arrangements that the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) has with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China (“SIPO”), the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property of the United Mexican States (“IMPI”), and the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (“DPMA”).

The bilateral PPH pilot programme between IPOS and the EPO is for a period of 3 years until 5 January 2018.

To read the update, please click here.