How to Use a Patent Prosecution Highway

Associates Max Colice and Andrew Cheslock and Partner Matthew A. Smith wrote an article that appeared in the April 2013 issue of Managing Intellectual Property magazine titled, “How to Use a Patent Prosecution Highway.”

The USPTO has established patent prosecution highway (PPH) programs with almost every major IP office worldwide. While the PPH isn’t necessarily the fastest way to reach allowance, it offers several advantages over the other options for expediting prosecution, including higher grant rates, lower average prosecution costs, and relatively fast overall prosecution. The article explains advantages and pitfalls of the various PPH programs and provides practical tips for using bilateral PPH programs and the PCT-PPH program.