Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between IP Australia and the United States Patent and Trademark Office

The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is an initiative to provide benefits to applicants through offices using the work previously conducted by other offices, and thus obtaining corresponding patents faster and more efficiently. Offices, in turn, benefit through a reduction in examination workload and improved patent quality.

Under the Patent Prosecution Highway, an applicant receiving a ruling from either the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or IP Australia 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. The Patent Prosecution Highway will leverage accelerated patent examination procedures already available in both offices to allow applicants in both countries to obtain corresponding patents faster and more efficiently.

The trial period commenced on 14 April 2008 for a period of 12 months. The USPTO and IP Australia have agreed to extend the pilot in its current state past 14 April 2009 in order to collect more information before any formal decision on the program is made.

View the IP Australia Press Release announcing the pilot program.
View the USPTO Press Release announcing the pilot program.

Patent Prosecution Highway Requests to IP Australia

Requirements and Procedure to File a Request to IP Australia for the Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between IP Australia and USPTO

Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program Request Form

Patent Prosecution Highway Requests to USPTO

Information regarding the filing of Patent Prosecution Highway Requests to the USPTO is available at www.uspto.gov/web/patents/pph/pph_ipau.html