The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is a cooperative framework that allows applicants who receive allowable claims from one IP Office to obtain expedited examination of corresponding claims filed in another participating IP Office. Due to the prior examination, PPH applications are often in a better condition for examination and allowance than original applications, justifying expedited examination

In this decision, the Board granted a patent owner’s motion to dismiss the petition and terminated the inter partes review after finding that the petition failed to identify all real parties in interest (RPI) required by 35 U.S.C. § 312(a)(2). Specifically, the Board determined that, under § 312(a)(2), it cannot consider a petition unless that petition has identified all RPIs.

Building on the success of their annual bilateral meeting in July, the EPO and IP Australia have further strengthened their co-operation. Only three months after the heads meeting in Munich, the two offices announced plans to launch a pilot programme under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) on 1 March 2026.

The Trilateral Offices, comprising the European Patent Office (EPO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), met today at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia for their 43rd annual meeting. The meeting was hosted by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director John A. Squires, who welcomed EPO Vice-President Steve Rowan and JPO Commissioner Yasuyuki Kasai for discussions on strategies to enhance patent quality and operational efficiency through advanced information technology (IT) tools. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) also participated in an observer capacity, represented by Lisa Jorgenson, Deputy Director General, Patents and Technology Sector.