Procedure Guidelines For Bi-Lateral Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Between India And Japan

Since the signing of the pilot PPH program agreement between Japan and India in late 2018, Applicants having commercial interests in both the countries have been eagerly waiting for the program to commence. The stakeholders became more hopeful of the commencement when the Indian Patent Office (IPO) released the amendment in the Patent rules in September 2019, listing Applicants availing PPH as an eligible category for the facility of expedited examination. Thereafter, on November 20^th, 2019, the Union Cabinet also approved the proposal for the adoption of PPH program. Subsequently, putting an end to the wait of the stakeholders, on November 29^th, 2019, the IPO and the Japan Patent Office (JPO) released the much-awaited procedure guidelines for PPH. The guidelines are applicable to normal PPH as well as PPH-Mottainai. These guidelines clearly outline details for implementing the PPH program in both countries. The details relate to conditions of implementation, criteria