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The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is a framework in which an application whose claims have been determined to be patentable in one country's patent office, called the Office of First Filing, is eligible to go through an accelerated examination in another country's patent office, called the Office of Second Filing, with a simple procedure upon an applicant's request. The PPH, through the use of the search and examination-related information produced by the first office, supports applicants in their efforts to obtain stable patent rights efficiently around the work, reduces the search and examination burden of the second office, and improves the quality of the examination of the major patent offices in the world.

Under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), applicants may obtain search and examination results from an accredited "PCT authority". The USPTO has established agreements with several PCT authorities to permit applicants to request PPH handling of their applications based on positive results from the PCT search and examination. Called PCT-PPH, this enables patents applicants to request a fast-track examination procedure in participating offices where patent examiners can make use of the work products from the other offices by requesting that their applications be processed under this procedure, applicants can generally obtain patents more quickly before participating offices.

In 2006, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) established the Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA), and in 2007, the USPTO completed construction of a permanent space for GIPA at the Alexandria, VA campus. GIPA is a unit of the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs. The office advises the administration and other federal government departments and agencies on domestic and international IP legal and policy issues. It also provides technical assistance and training on IP-related matters to U.S. stakeholders and both U.S. and foreign government officials.

See https://www.uspto.gov/ip/training/ for more information.

GIPA's programs are intellectual property capacity-building programs held in the U.S. and globally on intellectual property protection, enforcement, and capitalization. The academy provides both multilateral programs and country-specific programs. Programs are taught at the Alexandria campus, across the U.S., in foreign countries, and remotely through web-based distance learning. GIPA produced seven free online learning modules that are available in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian.

See https://www.uspto.gov/ip-policy/global-intellectual-property-academy/ip-elearning-modules for more information.

This chart shows, by quarter, the number of GIPA educational programs.

In fiscal year 2025, GIPA conducted 66 training programs for foreign government officials, 2 programs targeted for U.S. small- or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and 9 programs targeted for other U.S. audiences.

The online learning modules have received more than 250,000 visitors since they were first placed on USPTO.gov in 2010.

Intellectual property capacity-building programs are offered to patent, trademark and copyright officials, judges, prosecutors, police, customs officials, foreign policy makers, examiners, and intellectual property rights owners. This chart illustrates the number of individuals GIPA has trained quarterly.

In fiscal year 2025, GIPA provided training to a total of individuals, including 3,372 foreign government officials, 104 people associated with the U.S. small- or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and 371 other U.S. audience members.

This chart illustrates the number of countries, regions and intergovernmental organizations the Global Intellectual Property Academy has trained quarterly. Underneath the chart, you can view the list of countries, regions and intergovernmental organizations trained monthly.

Intellectual Property (IP) attachés provide information to help U.S. stakeholders entering foreign markets or conducting business abroad, including how to navigate foreign laws and regulations, how foreign courts and governments work, and how to protect and enforce IP abroad. Through their IP and foreign affairs expertise, the IP attachés can help U.S. stakeholders address IP challenges and issues they may face in foreign markets.

The IP attachés also assist U.S. stakeholders by advocating to improve IP protection and enforcement systems. Protecting U.S. IP at its early stages helps ensure that Americans can reap the rewards of their massive investments in research and development. The attachés cooperate with host governments and stakeholders to improve local and international IP frameworks and environment. They are on the front lines when advocating with our trading partners for the protection of America’s current and future economic interests.

The IP attachés regularly meet with stakeholders to provide assistance on IP issues. Thousands of such meetings have been conducted to date. Typically, after meeting with a stakeholder, the IP attaché completes documentation, which is sent to USPTO headquarters for processing.

The IP Attaché Program provides services throughout much of the world. The attachés are IP experts posted to U.S. embassies, consulates, and missions in Belgium, Brazil, China, India, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Peru, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, and South Africa. Other than the IP attachés based in China and Switzerland, each attaché has regional coverage. Their mission is to assist U.S. stakeholders and advocate to improve IP systems in their countries or regions.

In FY 2025, the IP attachés assisted 2,839 U.S. stakeholders worldwide.