The offices have agreed to extend the agreement, following the completion of a pilot program that started in January 2015.
The PPH enables applicants filing a patent at either CIPO or the EPO to have their application processed faster at the other office. This helps increase the efficiency and quality of the patent-granting process by enabling the offices to benefit from each other's work.
Since its launch, the PPH has generated over 1,400 requests at CIPO (as of March 31, 2020) and over 200 requests at the EPO (as of September 30, 2020).
More details about the program and its eligibility requirements are available on CIPO's website.
Quotes
"I am pleased to continue our deep partnership with the EPO. Over the past 5 years, the PPH program between the EPO and CIPO has strengthened our offices' ability to provide high-quality and timely intellectual property services to our clients and help businesses compete globally. We look forward to sustaining this valuable collaboration on a permanent basis and continuing to support clients of our patent systems."
- Konstantinos Georgaras, CIPO Chief Executive Officer (interim)
"I am very pleased to announce the continuation of the PPH with CIPO as a permanent service to our users. We believe it will promote cross-filing activity in Europe and Canada, improve market access and bilateral trade, and benefit users of the patent system in both regions."
- António Campinos, EPO President
