U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Announces Three New Patent Prosecution Highway Partnerships

Earlier this week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the October 1, 2012 launch of a new Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) partnership with the patent office of the Czech Republic, and the planned launch of two more PPH partnerships with the patent offices of the Philippines and Portugal in January 2013.  The PPH system allows for expedited patent examinations in partner countries, permitting PPH applicants to obtain corresponding foreign patents more quickly and efficiently.  The USPTO currently has PPH arrangements with the intellectual property offices of Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Russia, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom.  The full USPTO Press Release can be found here, and more information about the PPH system can be found here and here.