Düsseldorf, 14.07.2015 – On 6 July 2015 the German Patent and Trademark Office (GPTO/DPMA) joined the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH). This further extends the possibilities on an international level for accelerated examination of patent applications. The patent offices involved in the GPPH can make use of the search and examination results of the respective partner Offices. To date this possibility existed for the DPMA only bilaterally under the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) with China, Japan, the United Kingdom, the USA, Korea, Canada, Finland, Singapore and Austria. By joining the GPPH, the DPMA has expanded its network to a total of 21 partners, now including the Patent Offices of Australia, Denmark, Russia, Hungary, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Estonia, Israel, Norway, Iceland and the Nordic Patent Institute (a combination of the Danish Patent and Trademark Office, the Norwegian Intellectual Property Office and the Icelandic Patent Office).
Advantage for innovative companies
The GPPH was launched on 6 January 2014. Participants in the project are entitled to make a PPH application at any partner office and under the same conditions. “The fact that individual results can be obtained faster and patent examination procedures are simplified, is a real advantage for innovative companies," says Dr. Henning Sternemann, patent attorney at COHAUSZ & FLORACK. “The time it takes until a patent is granted is thus significantly reduced.” Furthermore, the examination procedures through the GPPH are comparatively cost-efficient.
