JPO Announces Launch Of “Patent Prosecution Highway” Program Between JPO And UKPO in July 2007
(posted on our MP&W website) 29 March 2007, 22:38

The Japanese Patent Office (JPO) announced on March 23 that the “Patent Prosecution Highway” (PPH) program between the UKPO and the JPO will start in July 2007. Further details will be announced by each patent office after particular PPH procedures have been decided.

The PPH pilot program started between the JPO and the USPTO in July 2006. Each applicant holding a patent application whose claims have been determined patentable by the JPO, can request accelerated examination for the same invention at the US Patent and Trademark office, and vice versa. The program between the JPO and the USPTO will run until July 2007.

Starting from April 2007, the PPH pilot program between Japan and the Korean Patent Office (KIPO) will take in place. After the U.S. and Korea, the PPH program will expand for the first time to an European patent office.

Source: http://www.jpo.go.jp/cgi/linke.cgi?url=/torikumi_e/t_torikumi_e/patent_highway_e.htm