Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)

Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is an international cooperation program between patent offices that enables accelerated examination of patent applications. Under this system, if one participating office finds at least one claim allowable, the applicant can request fast-track examination of corresponding claims in another participating office.

The PPH allows patent examiners to make use of earlier search and examination results from partner offices, improving efficiency and consistency. This reduces duplication of work, shortens prosecution timelines, and lowers overall costs for applicants.

Major patent offices participating in PPH include the European Patent Office, United States Patent and Trademark Office, and Japan Patent Office, among many others. Some frameworks, such as Global PPH, further harmonize participation across multiple offices.

The PPH is widely used by applicants seeking faster patent protection in multiple jurisdictions, making it an important tool in international patent strategy.

Resource: https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/system/patent/gpph/index.html