Vietnam – Korea patent prosecution highway (PPH) program: Current PPH requests filed

The PPH Pilot program between the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IPVN) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) is currently in Phase 3, which spans two years (1 June 2023 to 31 May 2025) with a quota of 100 PPH requests per year, akin to Phase 2.

The IPVN recently announced that they received 29 PPH requests in the first year of Phase 3. This suggests a rising trend in PPH filings during Phase 3. Specifically, during Phase 2, which ran from 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2023, there were also 29 PPH requests filed. Accordingly, the number of PPH requests filed in the entire two years of Phase 2 equals the number of PPH requests received just in the first year of Phase 3.

However, comparatively, the 29 PPH requests in the first year of Phase 3 mark a 41% decrease from the equivalent time frame in Phase 1.

Overall, while the volume of patent applications originating from Korea is substantial (in 2023: 1,073 patent applications filed), the number of PPH requests remains relatively low. This might be attributed to the expedited processing of patent applications by the IPVN in recent years, potentially reducing the necessity for Korean applicants to accelerate examinations through the PPH program.

For more information, please refer to our previous article related to Phase 3: https://investip.vn/korea-vietnam-patent-prosecution-highway-pph-pilot-program-extended-phase-3/

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By Tran Kim Oanh

Patent Department

INVESTIP – IP LAW FIRM