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UK Opens Patent Prosecution Highway with Canada

01-Feb-2012 | Source : | Visits : 7744
LONDON - A new, two-year pilot scheme, launched on January 31, 2012 will provide a boost for growth by helping businesses speed up the process of patent applications in the UK and the Canada, a press release by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) stated.

The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) allows applicants who have been successful in obtaining a patent from either the IPO or the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) to request accelerated examination of a corresponding patent application filed in the other country.

Minister for Intellectual Property Baroness Wilcox said:

"The Patent Prosecution Highway with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office builds on similar schemes that the UK IPO already has with Japan, South Korea, and the United States, which are already delivering benefits for applicants. Applicants and businesses in both the UK and Canada will have quicker and cheaper international patent protection. Speeding up the patent process is an important contribution to boosting economic growth, by helping companies and entrepreneurs turn their ideas into business.”

The PPH agreement with CIPO will also trial the new ‘MOTTAINAI’ model under which requests will be dealt with regardless of the order in which the various applications were filed or the original priority claimed by the co-pending applications.

The UK-Canada PPH pilot commences on January 31, 2012 and will run for an initial period of two years, ending on January 30, 2014.


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