Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) celebrates 20th anniversary
The international Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) system celebrates its 20th anniversary in July 2026. The anniversary was celebrated on 12 June 2026 at a ceremony in Japan.
The recording of the ceremony can now be viewed on YouTube.Avautuu uuteen välilehteen
The PPH system accelerates the process to obtain a patent outside Finland
The PPH is a system for co-operation between patent offices that allows patent applicants to request accelerated processing at a second patent office when the corresponding claims have already been found to be acceptable by a first patent office. The system reduces overlapping searches and examinations and accelerates the process to obtain a patent internationally.
For example, Finnish patent applicants can use the PPH system when the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) has found the claims of a Finnish patent application to be acceptable and the applicant applies for a patent for the same invention in another country. Similarly, applicants can request accelerated processing in Finland based on claims found to be acceptable by a patent office outside Finland. A PPH request can save time and costs, as the number of office actions issued during processing usually decreases.
Read more about the PPH system and see our instructions for making a PPH request on the PRH website.
The PRH has a co-operation agreement with 33 patent offices
In April 2026, the PPH system was in use at 56 patent offices worldwide. The PRH is part of the Global PPH network of 29 patent offices, which use each other's search and examination results in the PPH procedure. In addition, the PRH has bilateral PPH agreements with four patent offices.
Over the past 10 years, more than 1,000 PPH requests based on patent applications examined at the PRH have been made at offices outside Finland. Most of these requests have been made in the USA (518), China (223), Korea (74), Japan (67) and Canada (60).
For further information, please contact
Patent Advisory Service
advice.patents@prh.fi
Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00
Tel. +358 29 509 5858