Patent Prosecution Highway Between USPTO and HPO (Pilot)

The Patent Prosecution Highway in Conjunction With the Hungarian Patent Office (HPO)

Under the Patent Prosecution Highway, an applicant receiving a ruling from either the Hungarian Patent Office (HPO) or the USPTO that at least one claim in an application is patentable may request that the other office fast track the examination of corresponding claims in corresponding applications. The Patent Prosecution Highway will leverage fast-track patent examination procedures already available in both offices to allow applicants in both countries to obtain corresponding patents faster and more efficiently.

As of May 25, 2010, the USPTO has eliminated the fee for the petition to make special under the PPH programs.

The trial period, which started 01 July 2010 and was originally set to expire 01 July 2011, has been extended in order to collect more information before any formal decision on the program is made.

View the USPTO Press Release announcing the pilot program.

View the HPO Announcement on the pilot program.

Patent Prosecution Highway Requests to USPTO

Fillable Form SB/20HU (Patent Prosecution Highway Request Form) [PDF]

Continuation of the Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the USPTO and the Hungarian Patent Office (signed 12 September 2011)

Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Hungarian Patent Office (signed 30 June 2010)

Patent Prosecution Highway Requests to HPO

How to make a request at the HPO (published by the HPO, includes links to request form)