From 1 December 2024, patent applicants with a positive outcome indicated on their patent applications from the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) can benefit from expedited processing at the European Patent Office (EPO) through a new Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot. The IPONZ-EPO pilot will run for three years until 30 November 2027, with potential for extension.

Also from 1 December 2024, the existing PPH pilot with the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI Brazil) will be extended for five more years, i.e. until 30 November 2029. The scope of the programme will also be widened. Applicable participation conditions for accelerated processing of patent applications before the EPO are extended to the latest international search report (ISR), international preliminary examination (IPER) or international written opinion (WO) issued by INPI Brazil acting as an International Searching Authority (ISA).

See the EPO’s website for more information.

The PPH is a programme to fast-track patent examination. It allows applicants to request accelerated processing of a patent application if the claims have been deemed allowable by another participating office. If you are interested in learning more about the PPH programme and how it can benefit you, please get in touch with us.