Under the Patent Prosecution Highway, an applicant receiving a ruling from either the Japan Patent Office (JPO) or the USPTO that at least one claim in an application is patentable may request that the other office fast track the examination of corresponding claims in corresponding applications. The Patent Prosecution Highway will leverage fast-track patent examination procedures already available in both offices to allow applicants in both countries to obtain corresponding patents faster and more efficiently.

Full implementation of the Patent Prosecution Highway program starts January 4, 2008.

>> View Press Release #06-35 (24MAY2006) announcing the pilot program.

>> View Press Release, "USPTO and JPO to Implement Patent Prosecution Highway on Full-Time Basis" (21DEC2007).

Patent Prosecution Highway Requests to USPTO

• Fillable form SB/20 JP (Patent Prosecution Highway Request Form) [PDF]
• Notice Regarding Full Implementation of Patent Prosecution Highway Program between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Japan Patent Office (signed 28 Dec 2007) [PDF] (Please note the request for participation in the PPH program and all the supporting documents (except for preliminary amendments and IDS) must be indexed as “Petition to make special under Patent Pros Hwy". The doc code “PPH.REQUEST” as noted on page 8 of the Dec. 28, 2007 notice is for internal use only.)

Patent Prosecution Highway Requests to JPO

• Information regarding the filing of Patent Prosecution Highway Requests to the JPO is available at http://www.jpo.go.jp/cgi/linke.cgi?url=/torikumi_e/t_torikumi_e/patent_highway_e.htm

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