The Israeli and Korean Patent Offices have launched a Pilot Patent Prosecution Highway (P-PPH) under which the result of an examination in one of the jurisdictions if it is the office of first filing, may be used to fast track the application in the other.
There are two variations, the regular one is the PCT-PPH under which one office serving as an International Search Authority ISA and/or International Preliminary Examination Authority IPEA, and issuing an International Prelinary Examination Report IPER that is at least partially favorable, by having at least one allowable claim, may be used to fast track examination in the other jurisdiction.
The other variation is called the A PPH – MOTTANAI – where the A may be an indefinite object without antecedent. I have no idea what the MOTTANAI bit stands for.
Under the PPH – MOTTANAI, an application whose claims have been determined patentable in the Office of Earlier Examination (OEE) is eligible to go through an accelerated examination in the Office of Later Examination (OLE), upon an applicant’s request.
COMMENT
I am not sure if all these acronyms are helpful, but imagine that the fast tracking itself may be useful. At least in the electronic materials field, I’ve found the Korean Patent Office very efficient.
I see these international agreements are generally good for Israel politically. Israel and (South) Korea have a lot in common. Whether or not the PPHs (don’t try to pronounce that) will result in more filings in the two countries, it is too early to say.
The PPHs are provisional. If there are too many cases fast tracked under the system, the patent offices reserve the right to reconsider. This makes sense. It is a little like queuing with everyone else in the under 10 items, pensioners and handicapped line to the express check-out in the supermarket. One knows how to get into the fast line, but whether or not it is sensible to do so, is another issue entirely.
