Austria and Germany set up Patent Prosecution Highway
Austria and Germany have signed a new partnership that is set to speed up the examination of patents at their respective IP offices.
The two countries have agreed a pilot scheme to form a Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH), it was announced yesterday, May 27.
The scheme, set to be implemented on June 1, will allow applicants to request the accelerated examination of their patent’s claims at one office, provided at least one claim has been deemed acceptable by the other.
The partnership was announced by Cornelia Rudloff-Schäffer, president of the German Patent and Trademark Office, and Friedrich Rödler, president of the Austrian Patent Office.
"Germany is Austria's most important economic partner. Many German companies have branches and production sites in Austria," said Rudloff-Schäffer.
"The agreement … will further promote the economy and innovation in Europe, she said."
The pilot programme has a term of two years with the option of a renewal.
The first PPH was launched in 2006 by the US Patent and Trademark Office and the Japan Patent Office. By November last year, 30 countries had signed similar bi-lateral agreements.
Earlier this year, an extension of the scheme, called the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH), was launched.
The GPPH allows applicants to enjoy accelerated claims at any of the 17 offices to have joined it.
The agreement between Austria and Germany is not part of the GPPH.
