Canada - Finland PPH Pilot Project

National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland

The PPH pilot program that commenced on October 1, 2010, for a period of two years is being extended for an additional two-year period ending on September 30, 2014. The requirements and procedures of the agreement remain the same.

The objective of the extended trial is to obtain further information to assess if the PPH achieves its anticipated benefits. The National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR) and CIPO will evaluate the results of the pilot program to determine whether the program should be fully implemented after the trial period.

During the pilot, CIPO will process requests for advanced prosecution under the PPH program free of charge. CIPO will evaluate what, if any, fees should apply for this service if it later becomes permanent. Regular fees (Schedule II of the Patent Rules) for requesting examination will continue to apply during the PPH pilot.

The Offices may also terminate the PPH pilot program early if the volume of participation exceeds manageable level, or for any other reason. Notice will be published if the PPH pilot program terminates before the September 30, 2014 date.

PPH Requests to CIPO

PPH Requests to the NBPR

How to make a PPH request at the NBPR

Further Information

Any inquiries concerning this notice may be directed to the PPH Project Manager at pph@ic.gc.ca, or by calling the CIPO Client Service Center at 819-934-0544 or toll-free at 1-866-997-1936.