PCT-Patent Prosecution Highway (PCT-PPH) Pilots
New one-way PCT-PPH pilot program (Directorate of Foreign Trade & Industrial Property, National Patent Office (Bahrain) – European Patent Office (EPO))
On 1 March 2025, a new one-way PCT-PPH pilot program started between the Directorate of Foreign Trade & Industrial Property, National Patent Office (Bahrain) and the EPO. Under this program, accelerated processing in the national phase before the Directorate of Foreign Trade & Industrial Property, National Patent Office (Bahrain) is available on the basis of a PCT application with a positive written opinion issued by the EPO in its capacity as an International Searching Authority (ISA) or an International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA), or a positive international preliminary report on patentability (IPRP) (Chapter II) (that is, where at least one of the claims has been determined as patentable). The agreement between the Directorate of Foreign Trade & Industrial Property, National Patent Office (Bahrain) and the EPO establishing the PCT-PPH pilot program also includes a two-way PPH program where accelerated processing is possible at one Office on the basis of claims that are determined to be patentable by the other Office.
Further information on the above-mentioned PCT-PPH agreement is available at:
https://www.epo.org/en/legal/official-journal/2025/02/a19.html
The PCT-PPH page of the PCT website has been updated to include information on this new pilot at: