By Christopher P. Singer —

In June 29, 2009 press release, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that it has agreed with the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR) to establish a Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program.  As mentioned in prior posts regarding other participant Offices, the motivation behind the PPH is to leverage fast-track patent examination in participant offices so that applicants can obtain corresponding patents faster and more efficiently in each participant country.  PPH agreements are cooperative initiatives that streamline the patent system and promote expeditious, inexpensive, and high-quality patent protection throughout the world.  The U.S.-Finnish PPH is the USPTO's tenth PPH program among various foreign patent and trademark offices.  The pilot period will begin on July 6, 2009, and continue for a period of one year.  Additional information regarding participation in the PPH program in Finland can be found at the at bot the USPTO website and the NBPR website.