| Patent Prosecution Highway |
Referenced Items (235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246) |
(240) Continuation of the Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program
Between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the
Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program enables an applicant who
receives a positive ruling on patent claims from one participating office
to request accelerated prosecution of corresponding claims in another
participating office. This allows the applicant to obtain a patentability
decision in the second office more quickly. The PPH also promotes patent
application processing efficiency by allowing the examiner in the office of
later examination to reuse the search and examination results from the
office of earlier examination, thereby reducing workload and duplication of
effort.
On January 1, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO) commenced a PPH pilot program with the Saudi Authority for
Intellectual Property of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (SAIP). See Patent
Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot Program Between the United States Patent
and Trademark Office and the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property of
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1471 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 63 (February 4,
2020). This PPH pilot program was due to terminate on December 31, 2022.
So that our respective applicants may continue to obtain the benefits of
expedited prosecution, and to maintain our joint commitment to enhancing
intellectual property cooperation, the USPTO and the SAIP have agreed to
extend the pilot until December 31, 2025. Therefore, the USPTO will treat
as timely any PPH request based on SAIP work product filed in the USPTO on
or before December 31, 2025. In addition, the USPTO will treat as timely
any PPH request based on SAIP work product that was filed in the USPTO
between December 31, 2022, and the publication date of this notice.
You may direct any inquiries concerning this notice to Bryan Lin,
International Patent Legal Administration, at 571-272-3303 or
bryan.lin@uspto.gov.
You may direct specific questions about the PPH to the Office of
Petitions at 571-272-3282 or PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
January 6, 2023 KATHERINE K. VIDAL
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
[1509 OG 379]
Top of Notices (240) December 26, 2023