January 17, 2025
Launch of the Korea-Bahrain “Patent Prosecution Highway” Speeds Up Patent Acquisition
The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), led by Commissioner KIM Wan Ki, announced the launch of a three-year pilot program of the Korea-Bahrain Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH), effective January 15, 2025. Initiated at the suggestion of Bahrain's Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC), this program seeks to strengthen bilateral cooperation and facilitate the expedited acquisition of patent rights between the two countries.
The PPH is a cooperative initiative implemented between patent offices aimed at optimizing the substantive examination process. Under the program, when an "Office of Earlier Examination (OEE)" assesses the patentability of a patent application, the corresponding "Office of Later Examination (OLE)" offers an accelerated examination of the same application. By leveraging the findings of the OEE, this process reduces redundancy, expedites application processing, and enhances examination quality through shared expertise.
In Bahrain, the average duration from examination request to conclusion(also known as the patent acquisition period) is approximately 36 to 48 months. In comparison, the average patent acquisition period in Korea is relatively shorter at 20.1 months (as of 2023). Through the Korea-Bahrain PPH, applicants who have already obtained a patent in Korea can expedite the substantive examination process in Bahrain, reducing the time required for patent acquisition. For example, the Korea-Mexico PPH was able to significantly reduce the average patent acquisition period for applications by Korean companies from 48 months to 4.9 months. With the addition of Bahrain, Korea now operates the PPH program with 39 countries worldwide.
This pilot program is particularly significant as Bahrain serves as a logistical and business hub among the countries of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain. Due to the region's favorable environment to finance and investments, there are many promising opportunities for collaboration in key industries such as energy, petrochemicals, and infrastructure. For Korean companies, the signing of the Korea-Bahrain PPH agreement will facilitate market stable entry in Bahrain by enabling quicker patent acquisition and protection of their core technologies.
KIPO's Director General of the Patent Examination Policy Bureau, JEONG Yeon Woo, emphasized the program's importance, stating, "The implementation of the Korea-Bahrain PPH marks a significant step in protecting the innovative ideas of Korean companies swiftly and enhancing their competitiveness in the global market. We will continue to develop policies and expand international cooperation to support the acquisition of patents overseas."