Recent Developments in the Patent Prosecution Highway

The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) network continues to expand, and we at AWA remain one step ahead by closely monitoring the new expansions and emerging opportunities.

Recently, European patent applicants have been presented with new opportunities to expedite and simplify examination of their patent applications. This opportunity adds to the EPO’s existing 18 agreements with the patent offices of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, and the USA.

Effective 1 January 2026, the EPO and the Bahraini IP office have launched a new PPH agreement. The agreement applies to both national and PCT work products.

To recall, under a given PPH agreement, the PPH permits requesting for accelerated examination at the office participating in this agreement, based on the search results and a set of claims accepted for grant in a corresponding application at the other participating office.

It is also worth mentioning that, effective 6 January 2026, the African Regional IP Office, ARIPO, has entered the Global PPH-network. Consequently, this office now has PPH agreements in force with, among others, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, as well as countries such as the USA, Japan, and South Korea.

On another note, the PPH agreement between the Saudi patent office and the EPO has been temporarily suspended due to certain administrative steps required at the national level still pending. It is intended to resume the agreement as soon as these administrative steps are in place.

Finally, the Indian IP office has decided not to extend its PPH agreement with the Japan Patent Office. Consequently, the Indian IP office has effectively withdrawn from the PPH network. 

The total number of IP offices involved in the PPH network has now reached 56.