The Patent Prosecution Highway Program Begins September 1, 2011


September 9, 2011

In order to provide better efficiency in the prosecution of patent applications, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (“TIPO”) has initiated the Patent Prosecution Highway (“PPH”) program with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USTPO”).  Under the Patent Prosecution Highway, an applicant receiving a ruling from the Office of First Filing (“OFF”) that at least one claim in an application filed in the OFF is patentable may request that the Office of Second Filing (“OSF”) fast track the examination of corresponding claims in corresponding applications filed in the OSF. PPH will leverage fast-track examination procedures already available in the OSF to allow applicants in the OSF to obtain corresponding patents faster and more efficiently.  However, there is no guarantee that the second filing (e.g. Taiwan filing) will be approved even if the first (e.g. the US filing) is.  In addition, in order to gain the full benefit of the PPH, the claims filed in the OSF (i.e. Taiwan) must conform to or be narrower than itscorresponding ones in the OFF.