02 July 2014
A pilot patent scheme to help UK businesses export goods to China has been launched. The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) links the UK Intellectual Property Office, an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills, and China’s State Intellectual Property Office. It allows applicants successful in obtaining a patent at one office to request accelerated processing of an application at the other office. Lord Younger, minister for intellectual property, says the PPH will reduce duplication and create a more “efficient and affordable system” for businesses in the UK and China. The pilot ends on 30 June 2016.
