CIPO announced today that it is extending the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) arrangements with Finland, Germany and Spain until at least September 2014.

The Patent Prosecution Highway allows patent applicants in Canada to expedite the prosecution of Canadian patent applications based on allowances granted in other jurisdictions. The arrangements with Finland, Germany and Spain were to expire this weekend.

CIPO has an arrangement of indeterminate length with the United States. There are also arrangements with Denmark, Japan, Korea and the United Kingdom.

A list of CIPO’s PPH partners, end dates and more information about the PPH program is listed on CIPO’s PPH webpage.