The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) introduced the Accelerated Examination program in 2006 to help applicants receive expedited examination of important patent applications. The USPTO is ending the Accelerated...more
Patent Prosecution Highway or PPH is a set of initiatives promulgated by participating patent offices around the world to accelerate patent prosecution in countries of the participating patent offices. PPH allows the...more
Building a patent portfolio is an important part of new product development. For many startups, patents help credential their technology and attract investment. However, backlogs at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office...more
In recent years, with the increase in patent applications filed in China, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has focused on expediting patent examinations to decrease the duration of the normal...more
Survey of Foreign Filing Requirements in the United States, China, and Europe - Many governments require approval of technical subject matter described in patent applications in the form of a foreign filing license prior...more
At last count, there are 27 Global and IP5 Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) participants with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Since the PPH provides a no fee way to speed up the examination process for...more
The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program accelerates examination among participating patent offices. The PPH program first began as a trial program between the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Japan Patent...more
Please see full map and corresponding legend regarding grace period around the world. ...more
Public Disclosure Grace Periods Around the World - Public disclosure prior to a patent application filing can present a significant hurdle to patentability in most countries because of absolute novelty requirements....more
With the implementation of Revisions to the Chinese Patent Examination Guidelines on April 1, 2017, the April 2017 issue of Sterne Kessler's Global Patent Prosecution Newsletter includes information and practical tips for...more
Intellectual property protection, particularly patent protection, is important for many companies, and the ability to speed up the patenting process may be essential for a variety of reasons. For instance, one or more issued...more