Patent Prosecution Highway Between USPTO and IPOPHL (Pilot)

Under this pilot program of the Patent Prosecution Highway, an applicant receiving a ruling from either the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) 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. This Patent Prosecution Highway pilot program 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.

As of May 25, 2010, the USPTO has eliminated the fee for the petition to make special under the PPH programs.

The USPTO has implemented PPH 2.0 with respect to the IPOPHL. PPH 2.0 simplifies the PPH requirements and procedures in a consolidated and user-friendly framework, while at the same time ensuring that work sharing benefits to the USPTO are not diminished. It is important to note that PPH 2.0 has only been implemented at the USPTO at this time, i.e., unilaterally.

The Patent Prosecution Highway pilot program between the USPTO and the IPOPHL commenced on January 29, 2013, and has been extended indefinitely.