IPONZ and EPO officially launch Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot program

The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) and the European Patent Office (EPO) have jointly launched a new Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot program from 1 December 2024. This new pilot program will allow applicants to apply for accelerated examination of their patent applications in the New Zealand or European regional phases.

Currently, IPONZ's standard examination duration is very long, with an average of three years from the filing of a new application to the issuance of the first examination opinion. The PPH pilot program signed with the EPO will greatly improve this situation.