KIPO, USPTO Patent Prosecution Highway Open Full-time
22 November 2012
The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) have announced their agreement to implement the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) on a full time basis, beginning January 29, 2009, according to a USPTO press release. A pilot feasibility study of the PPH, which began in January 2008, ended on January 28, 2009.
Under the PPH, an applicant receiving a ruling from either the KIPO or the USPTO that at least one claim in an application is patentable may request that the corresponding application filed at the other office advanced out of turn for examination. By basing the prosecution in the second office on patentable results from the first office, applicants can expect to obtain patents in both offices faster.
“The success of the 12 month pilot period has confirmed that the PPH significantly expedites the acquisition of patent rights for applicants and enhances the efficiency of administrative work for both offices,” said the Commissioner of the KIPO, Jung-Sik Koh. “The PPH program on a full-time basis will make these benefits permanent and contribute to the development of the PPH network on a global scale.”
The pilot project has demonstrated that the Patent Prosecution Highway provides real benefits to both the USPTO and KIPO by eliminating redundant work, expediting processing and ensuring high quality of patents, said Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Director of the USPTO John Doll. “Implementation of the Patent Prosecution Highway on a full time basis is an important step toward realising work sharing globally,” he said.
