4.1 General
4.1.3.Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) based on an IPER established by the EPO as IPEA
4.1.011The PPH enables an applicant whose claims have been determined to be patentable/allowable to have a corresponding application that has been filed with a PPH partner office processed in an accelerated manner while at the same time allowing the offices involved to exploit available work results.
4.1.012Under the PPH (pilot) programme at the EPO, a PPH request filed with one of the other IP5 offices, i.e. CNIPA, JPO, KIPO and USPTO, or with one of the offices with which the EPO has launched bilateral PPH (pilot) programmes, i.e. CIPO (Canada), ILPO (Israel), IMPI (Mexico), IPOS (Singapore), IPA (Australia), IPOPHL (Philippines), MyIPO (Malaysia), INDECOPI (Peru), SIC (Colombia) and SAIP (Saudi Arabia), can also be based on an IPER established by the EPO as IPEA (see point 3.2.038).
4.1.013Irrespective of the PPH (pilot) programme, any applicant may request accelerated examination under the PACE programme in the procedure before the EPO as elected Office at any time. For more information on the PACE programme reference is made to Chapter 5 (see points 5.1.036 ff).