Singapore, 3 February 2010 – On 2 February 2009, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) commenced a one-year Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot programme. IPOS and the USPTO have now agreed to extend the PPH pilot programme in its current state. This extension will allow both offices to collect more information and to better assess the feasibility of the PPH programme.
The aim of the PPH between IPOS and the USPTO is to accelerate the processing of patent applications in one patent office where the other patent office has already conducted the search and examination.
With the PPH, each office will be able to exploit the work previously done by the other office. At the USPTO, the application will be fast-tracked and the search and examination process will begin at a more informed level. This will allow quicker processing of patent applications as well as improve the patent quality. At IPOS, the granting process of patent applications will be accelerated by utilising the search and examination work done by the USPTO.
Full details and requirements for participation in the pilot programme are available at www.ipos.gov.sg and www.uspto.gov/web/patents/pph/pph_ipos.html.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Tan Mei Jue (Ms)
Public Relations Department
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
DID: +65 6331 6581
Fax: +65 6331 6562
Email: tan_mei_jue@ipos.gov.sg
Nicole Ong (Ms)
Public Relations Department
Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
DID: +65 6331 6552
Fax: +65 6331 6562
Email: nicole_ong@ipos.gov.sg
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), a statutory board under the Ministry of Law since April 2001, is the lead government agency that advises on and administers intellectual property (IP) laws, promotes IP awareness and provides the infrastructure to facilitate the development of IP in Singapore. With IP fast becoming a critical resource in today’s new economy, IPOS’s vision is to foster a creative Singapore where ideas and intellectual efforts are valued, developed and exploited. More information on IPOS can be found on www.ipos.gov.sg.