1. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently released its 2008 edition of the World Patent Report. This Report, based upon cumulative 2006 data, includes statistics regarding total patent grants by patent office and by country of origin, resident and non-resident patent filings and granted patents, and emerging country patent filings and patent grants, among others.

WIPO World Patent Report Article: LINK
2008 World Patent Report (HTML): LINK
2008 World Patent Report (PDF): LINK

2. The USPTO recently announced an extension of its Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program with the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). This pilot program began in September 2007 and has been extended “until further notice.”

USPTO Article: LINK
USPTO/UKIPO PPH Webpage: LINK
UKIPO PPH Request Webpage: LINK

3. The State Council of China has recently submitted a draft amendment to the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee in attempt to update its patent review processes and procedures. One amendment, referred to in the China Daily article below as the “absolute novelty” standard, will require examiners “to consider public use evidence both inside and outside China when processing patent applications.”

China Daily Article: LINK
China Patent & Trademark Office Website: LINK