PCT to be included in the PPH agreement with the Japan Patent Office

The National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR) has concluded an agreement with the Japan Patent Office: the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) collaboration will be expanded to include search results obtained of PCT applications. The new agreement allows a more extensive use of PPH: Finnish applicants can exploit the PCT search results better than before and obtain patents faster in Japan.

Finnish patent applicants have used the accelerated processing enabled by PPH, and it is expected to increase after the PCT has been included in the PPH agreement.

The PPH-PCT agreement with the Japan Patent Office enters into force on 1 July 2010. The agreement has been confirmed through correspondence between NBPR President Martti Enäjärvi and Commissioner Tetsuhiro Hosono of the Japan Patent Office.

Further details:
Mr Pekka Launis
Vice President
Email: firstname.lastname(at)prh.fi
Tel. +358 (0)9 6939 5443

Mr Juha Rekola
Development Director
Email: firstname.lastname(at)prh.fi
Tel. +358 (0)9 6939 5504

Mr Ari Hirvonen
Patent Examiner
Email: firstname.lastname(at)prh.fi
Tel. +358 (0)9 6939 5726