Patent Prosecution Highway links Korea and Denmark
March 20 2009 |
Korean patent applicants will soon enjoy swift and easy patent examination service in Denmark thanks to the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH).
According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) Commissioner Jung-Sik Koh, pilot service for the patent prosecution highway with the Danish Patent and Trademark Office (DKPTO) began on March 1st.
A PPH between two countries allows a patent filed in one of them to be filed in the other, using the same examination results. Identical patents may thereby swiftly be filed in reciprocating countries.
KIPO has already opened a PPH with Japan, active since April 2007, and with the United States, as of January 2008. Thus the PPH with Denmark is the third such service of its kind.
By allowing the mutual use of examination results, PPH not only helps patent offices reinforce interactive cooperation and improve examination qualities, but also gives applicants quicker service in foreign countries. This is why KIPO has put forth so much effort in opening PPHs with more countries. Under such circumstances, the PPH with Denmark is expected to encourage other European countries to open PPHs with KIPO.
The PPH between Korea and Denmark started its one-year pilot service from March 1, 2009. After the pilot service, the patent offices of both countries will decide whether or not to continue the service in full scale.
Details about the PPH are posted on the website of KIPO (http://www.kipo.go.kr) and DKPTO (http://www.dkpto.dk).
