| Patent Prosecution Highway |
Referenced Items (207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223) |
(212) Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot Program Between the United States
Patent and Trademark Office and the National Institute of Industrial
Property of Argentina
I. Background
Beginning in July 2006, the United States Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO) has partnered with several other offices in Patent Prosecution
Highway (PPH) programs. The PPH 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, which allows the applicant to obtain a patentability decision in
the second office more quickly. Furthermore, the PPH promotes patent
application processing efficiency by allowing the examiner in the office of
later examination (OLE) to reuse the search and examination results from
the office of earlier examination (OEE), thereby reducing workload and
duplication of effort.
On January 6, 2014, the USPTO began participating in the Global PPH and
IP5 PPH ("Global/IP5 PPH") pilot programs, which consolidated and replaced
numerous earlier PPH programs, thereby streamlining and simplifying the PPH
process for both applicants and Global/IP5 PPH participating offices. See
Implementation of the Global and IP5 Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot
Programs with Participating Offices, 1400 OFF. GAZ. PAT. OFFICE 172 (March
18, 2014).
Following discussions between the USPTO and the National Institute of
Industrial Property of Argentina (INPI-Argentina), the USPTO will implement
a PPH pilot program with the INPI-Argentina. The INPI-Argentina is not
currently a Global/IP5 PPH participating office and is partnering with the
USPTO in the PPH on a bilateral basis only. However, a PPH request
submitted in the USPTO based on INPI-Argentina work product will be treated
under the published Global/IP5 PPH standards as discussed in Section III
below.
II. Trial Period for the PPH Pilot Program with the INPI-Argentina
The PPH pilot program will commence on March 3, 2017, and will run for a
period of three years ending on March 2, 2020. The trial period may be
extended if necessary to adequately assess the feasibility of the PPH
program. Both offices will continually evaluate the results of the PPH
pilot program to determine whether and how the program should be modified.
The offices also may terminate the PPH pilot program early if the volume of
participation exceeds a manageable level, or for any other reason. Notice
will be published if the PPH pilot program will be extended or terminated.
Unless the INPI-Argentina becomes a Global PPH participating office, any
extension or termination of the Global/IP5 PPH program will have no effect
on this PPH pilot program.
III. Participation in the PPH Pilot Program with the INPI-Argentina in the
USPTO
Any request to participate in a PPH program in the USPTO based on INPI-
Argentina work product is subject to the same requirements and procedures
as, and will receive equivalent treatment to, a request made under the
Global/IP5 PPH pilot program as set forth in the following notice:
Implementation of the Global and IP5 Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot
Programs with Participating Offices, 1400 OFF. GAZ. PAT. OFFICE 172 (March
18, 2014). This PPH pilot program also will be subject to any modifications
to the requirements and procedures of the Global/IP5 PPH pilot program. A
request form (Form PTO/SB/20AINPI) is available from the USPTO Web site at
http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/.
Any inquiries concerning this notice may be directed to Bryan Lin,
International Patent Legal Administration, at 571-272-3303, or via e-mail
 Top of Notices (212) December 31, 2019 |
US PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE |
1469 CNOG 779 |
addressed to bryan.lin@uspto.gov.
Specific questions about the Patent Prosecution Highway should be
directed to the Office of Petitions at 571-272-3282, or via e-mail
addressed to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
February 13, 2017 MICHELLE K. LEE
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
[1436 OG 48]