USPTO Ends Global Patent Prosecution Highway Program with Russian IP Agency Rospatent | Practical Law

USPTO Ends Global Patent Prosecution Highway Program with Russian IP Agency Rospatent | Practical Law

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will no longer grant or maintain requests to participate in the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) based on work performed by the Russian IP agency Rospatent as an Office of Earlier Examination (OEE) under the GPPH.

USPTO Ends Global Patent Prosecution Highway Program with Russian IP Agency Rospatent

by Practical Law Intellectual Property & Technology
Law stated as of 11 Mar 2022 • USA (National/Federal)
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will no longer grant or maintain requests to participate in the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) based on work performed by the Russian IP agency Rospatent as an Office of Earlier Examination (OEE) under the GPPH.
The USPTO announced that as of March 11, 2022, it will:
  • No longer grant requests to participate in the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) based on work performed by the Russian IP agency Rospatent as an Office of Earlier Examination (OEE) under the GPPH.
  • For pending cases granted special status under the GPPH before March 11, 2022 based on Rospatent's work as an OEE:
    • remove that status so they are no longer treated as GPPH applications; and
    • return those applications to the regular processing and examination queue.
For more information, see Practice Note, Expediting Patent Prosecution: Global Patent Prosecution Highway.