... a PPH pilot programme between the Trilateral Offices, based on PCT work products,also started on 29 January 2010?
The Trilateral Offices (Japan Patent Office (JPO), European Patent Office (EPO) and US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)) have also launched a new PPH pilot programme, utilising PCT work products. For more details, see: http://www.epo.org/patents/law/legal-texts/journal/informationEPO/archive/20100125b.html
... the JPO provides an XML converter free of charge?In 2007, the JPO came to an agreement with the USPTO and EPO on a set of formal standards. In Japan this new common application format (CAF) was introduced on 1 January 2009. To support this new format and to facilitate applications, the JPO has created a HTML-to-XML converter and provides this tool free of charge.
Updated information on CAF and the XML converter:http://www.jpo.go.jp/torikumi_e/kokusai_e/common_format.htm, http://www.jpo.go.jp/torikumi_e/t_torikumi_e/e_meisai_xml.htm
.... the JPO is currently conducting PPH programmes
... the USPTO and KIPO have confirmed their PPH?On 29 January 2009, the USPTO and Korean Patent Office (KIPO) declared their Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) permanent after a one-year pilot programme. Under the PPH, applicants receiving a ruling from either KIPO or the USPTO that at least one claim in an application is patentable may request that the other office fast track the examination of corresponding claims in corresponding applications.
Further information can be found on the USPTO website at: http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/pph/pph_kipo.html
... the world's "Big Five" have announced a new co-operation framework?The world's "Big Five" intellectual property offices have announced a new co-operation framework. The heads of the EPO, JPO, USPTO, KIPO and SIPO met on 27 and 28 October 2008 in Jeju, Korea with the aim of setting up ten foundation projects for a work-sharing infrastructure.
See http://www.epo.org/about-us/press/releases/archive/2008/20081031.html and
http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2008/20081031.html for more details.
... the USPTO and KIPO have agreed to exchange priority documents electronically?On 14 October 2008, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) became the third foreign intellectual property office (after the EPO and JPO) to use the Priority Document Exchange (PDX) system for automatically exchanging priority documents with the USPTO. For cases filed before 14 October 2008, applicants will still have to file a request for retrieval of the priority documents. At present, the PDX system does not include designs or PCT international applications.
For more information see http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/kipopdx_10142008.pdf
