UK and China IP offices to extend PPH programme

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) will extend their Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme.

It was due to expire tomorrow, June 30, and was launched on July 1, 2014.

The PPH allows applicants who have been successful in obtaining a patent at one office to request accelerated processing of a corresponding application at the other.

The programme will be extended for an “indefinite time period”, according to a release by the IPO on Monday, June 27.