Article 72

Matters concerning the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme

1. Update to naming convention: from KIPO to MOIP

The name of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) has changed, effective 1 October 2025, to the Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP). All PPH-related references to KIPO should now be understood as referring to MOIP.

2. The bilateral Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot programme between the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP)

The bilateral PPH pilot programme between the EPO and the SAIP launched on 1 July 2022 expires on 31 December 2025 (OJ EPO 2025, A39). As certain administrative steps required at national level are still pending, a transition from the pilot phase to a permanent implementation of this framework is not possible as of 1 January 2026. Consequently, requests for participation in the PPH programme between the EPO and the SAIP cannot currently be accepted.

Applicants requiring faster examination can ask to have their applications processed under the programme for accelerated prosecution of European patent applications (PACE) (Notice from the European Patent Office dated 16 december 2025 concerning the programme for accelerated prosecution of European patent applications ("PACE"), OJ EPO 2025, A69). For information regarding additional ways to expedite the European grant procedure, see OJ EPO 2015, A94).

For any question about this, contact EPO Customer Services: epo.org/en/contact-us

A Notice will be published once the PPH programme between the EPO and the SAIP resumes.