As of August 1, 2026, patent applicants in Indonesia and China have access to a new mechanism for facilitating accelerated patent examination through the CNIPA–DGIP Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) Pilot Program.
The program is a cooperative initiative between the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP) of the Ministry of Law of the Republic of Indonesia. According to the official announcement issued by CNIPA, the pilot program will remain in effect for five years. Applicants from both jurisdictions may file PPH requests with CNIPA or DGIP in accordance with the procedures applicable to the pilot program.
For companies having technological developments, investments, or commercial activities in both Indonesia and China, the implementation of this program represents an important development that should be taken into consideration when formulating a cross-border patent prosecution strategy.
What Is the CNIPA–DGIP PPH?
The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is a cooperative mechanism between patent offices that enables examination work conducted by one patent office to be utilized by another participating patent office in order to facilitate accelerated examination of corresponding patent applications.
Ordinarily, where an invention is filed in multiple jurisdictions, each respective patent office conducts its own examination, including prior-art searches and assessment of the applicable patentability requirements.
Through the PPH mechanism, examination results and relevant work products already available from one patent office may be utilized by a partner patent office in connection with the examination of a corresponding application. The principal objectives are to reduce duplication of examination work and improve examination efficiency.
CNIPA describes the PPH as a fast-track patent examination procedure established between patent offices of different countries or regions, enabling such offices to accelerate examination through a mechanism of work sharing.
Accordingly, the PPH should be understood as a mechanism for accelerating patent examination, rather than as a mechanism for automatically securing the grant of a patent.
When Did the CNIPA–DGIP PPH Commence?
The CNIPA–DGIP PPH Pilot Program was officially launched on August 1, 2026.
According to CNIPA’s official announcement, the pilot program will remain in effect for five years. Following its commencement, applicants from both jurisdictions may file PPH requests with CNIPA or DGIP in accordance with the applicable PPH procedures.
The commencement of the pilot program represents a significant development in patent examination cooperation between Indonesia and China.
For applicants having corresponding or related patent applications in both jurisdictions, the program provides an additional mechanism that may be considered in developing a more coordinated and efficient patent prosecution strategy.
How Does the PPH Work?
The operation of the PPH can be illustrated through a simple example.
Suppose that a Chinese company develops a new technology and files corresponding patent applications in China and Indonesia.
If the examination conducted by CNIPA produces relevant examination results and certain claims are considered to satisfy the applicable requirements, the applicant may consider filing a PPH request with DGIP in respect of the corresponding Indonesian application, provided that the requirements of the applicable PPH program are satisfied.
Conversely, an Indonesian applicant with a corresponding patent application in China may consider utilizing relevant examination results obtained from DGIP in support of a PPH request before CNIPA, subject to the applicable requirements.
In simplified terms, the process may be illustrated as follows:
Patent application filed in Country A
↓
Examination conducted and relevant examination results become available
↓
PPH request filed in Country B
↓
Accelerated examination, subject to satisfaction of the applicable requirements
Through this mechanism, examination work already conducted in one jurisdiction may provide additional value in the examination of a corresponding application in another jurisdiction.
What Are the Potential Benefits of the PPH for Patent Applicants?
For companies maintaining patent portfolios in Indonesia and China, the PPH may provide a number of strategic advantages.
1. Accelerated Patent Examination
The principal advantage of the PPH is the availability of an accelerated examination route, provided that the relevant application satisfies all applicable requirements.
Such acceleration may be particularly valuable for companies seeking greater certainty regarding the status of patent protection within a shorter period of time.
2. Reduction of Duplication in Examination Work
Through the work-sharing mechanism, the examining office may take into consideration examination work already performed by its partner patent office.
This may contribute to greater examination efficiency and reduce duplication of substantially similar examination work.
3. More Coordinated Patent Prosecution
The PPH enables applicants to coordinate patent prosecution activities in two jurisdictions more effectively.
Instead of managing the examination processes in Indonesia and China entirely independently, applicants may consider the examination status and results in one jurisdiction when formulating prosecution strategies in the other.
4. Support for Business Decisions
Earlier progress in patent examination may assist companies in making business decisions concerning investment, licensing, manufacturing, commercialization, and technology transfer.
For businesses whose commercial activities depend substantially on intellectual property protection, obtaining greater certainty regarding patent rights at an earlier stage may have significant strategic value.
5. Support for Cross-Border Patent Protection
For companies with international patent portfolios, the PPH may serve as one of the tools available for implementing a more coordinated global patent prosecution strategy.
Does the PPH Guarantee the Grant of a Patent?
No.
This is one of the most important aspects for applicants to understand.
The PPH is a mechanism for accelerating patent examination; it is not a mechanism for automatically securing the grant of a patent.
Although examination results from one patent office may be utilized by another participating patent office, each patent office retains its authority to conduct examination in accordance with its own applicable laws, regulations, and patentability standards.
In other words:
The PPH may accelerate examination, but it does not guarantee the grant of a patent.
Differences in substantive patent law and examination practice between Indonesia and China may still result in different examination outcomes.
For example, a claim considered patentable by CNIPA may not necessarily receive the same treatment before DGIP. Differences in the prior art considered, assessment of inventive step, clarity of claims, support by the specification, or other substantive requirements may affect the examination outcome.
Accordingly, a positive examination result obtained from one patent office should be regarded as a strategic asset in the patent prosecution process, rather than as a guarantee of a corresponding result in another jurisdiction.
Benefits for Chinese Companies Seeking Patent Protection in Indonesia
The CNIPA–DGIP PPH may be particularly relevant to Chinese companies undertaking investment, manufacturing, research and development, or commercialization activities in Indonesia.
A Chinese company having corresponding patent applications before CNIPA and DGIP may consider utilizing the examination results obtained in China as part of its strategy for seeking accelerated examination in Indonesia, subject to satisfaction of the applicable PPH requirements.
This may be particularly valuable for companies maintaining substantial patent portfolios and seeking to coordinate patent prosecution across multiple jurisdictions.
For Chinese companies expanding their operations and technological activities in Indonesia, the PPH may therefore constitute an additional strategic consideration when managing their Indonesian patent portfolios.
Benefits for Indonesian Companies Seeking Patent Protection in China
The benefits of the PPH are not limited to Chinese applicants.
Indonesian companies with technologies intended for the Chinese market may likewise consider the PPH mechanism in connection with their patent prosecution strategy before CNIPA.
For example, an Indonesian company with a corresponding patent application in Indonesia and China may consider utilizing relevant examination results obtained from DGIP to support accelerated examination before CNIPA, subject to the applicable requirements.
This may be particularly relevant to Indonesian businesses seeking to expand their technology, investment, licensing, manufacturing, or commercialization activities into the Chinese market.
Accordingly, the CNIPA–DGIP PPH constitutes a two-way mechanism that may benefit applicants from both jurisdictions.
Timing
Applicants should carefully consider the appropriate timing for filing a PPH request and ensure that the request is filed in accordance with the applicable procedural requirements.
Formal Requirements
Before filing a PPH request, applicants should verify that the relevant patent application and supporting documents satisfy all formal and substantive requirements prescribed under the applicable CNIPA–DGIP PPH procedures.
DGIP has prior experience implementing PPH arrangements with other patent offices, including the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Such experience demonstrates the importance of complying with the applicable procedural and documentary requirements when seeking accelerated examination.
For the CNIPA–DGIP PPH, applicants should refer to the specific procedures and requirements applicable to the pilot program at the time of filing.
The CNIPA–DGIP PPH in the Global Context
The CNIPA–DGIP PPH Pilot Program should also be viewed in the broader context of international cooperation in patent examination.
According to CNIPA, since launching its first PPH pilot program in November 2011, CNIPA has established PPH cooperation mechanisms with patent offices in 38 countries or regions. CNIPA further notes that these cooperation mechanisms provide support for Chinese applicants seeking to obtain patent rights overseas more efficiently.
In Indonesia, DGIP has likewise implemented PPH arrangements with various partner patent offices.
These developments demonstrate the increasing importance of work sharing and international cooperation in improving the efficiency of patent examination.
The inclusion of Indonesia in CNIPA’s PPH cooperation network therefore represents a significant development in patent prosecution cooperation between the two jurisdictions and provides applicants in both countries with an additional tool for managing cross-border patent portfolios.
What Does the PPH Mean for Technology Owners?
For technology owners with interests in both Indonesia and China, the relevant question is no longer simply:
“In which countries should we file our patent applications?”
It is also:
“How should examination in the respective jurisdictions be strategically coordinated?”
The CNIPA–DGIP PPH provides an additional mechanism through which this question may be addressed.
By considering the PPH at an early stage, applicants may formulate filing, claim drafting, and prosecution strategies with the possibility of utilizing examination results from one jurisdiction to support prosecution in the other.
This may be particularly relevant to businesses operating in technology-intensive sectors, including manufacturing, electronics, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, energy, engineering, and other innovation-driven industries with commercial interests in Indonesia and China.
Further Information
The effective utilization of the CNIPA–DGIP PPH Pilot Program may depend on a number of factors, including the applicable filing requirements, examination results, claim correspondence, procedural timing, and the specific circumstances of the relevant patent applications.
Applicants or companies with patent applications or patent portfolios in Indonesia and China who wish to learn more about the CNIPA–DGIP PPH Pilot Program, including its potential application to specific patent matters, are encouraged to seek appropriate professional advice.
For further information regarding the CNIPA–DGIP PPH Pilot Program or other intellectual property matters, please contact us through our official company communication channels. Our team will be pleased to provide further information and discuss your patent protection and prosecution requirements.
Author: Agus Susanto
