What are the benefits of participating in the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program?
The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program offers several benefits to patent applicants:
- Accelerated Examination: Faster processing of patent applications.
- Reduced Costs: Potentially lower expenses due to streamlined prosecution.
- Increased Efficiency: Utilization of work already done by another patent office.
- Higher Grant Rate: Typically higher success rates for PPH applications.
The MPEP 708.02(c) states: ‘Under the PPH program, an applicant receiving a ruling from an Office of Earlier Examination (OEE) that at least one claim in an application filed in the OEE is patentable may request that the USPTO fast track the examination of corresponding claims in corresponding applications.’
This program promotes work-sharing between patent offices, reducing duplication of efforts and speeding up the overall patent granting process.
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