PCT Newsletter


July-August 2026 | No. 07-08/2026

Worksharing and fast-track procedures

GH and US sign statement of intent for Accelerated Patent Grant arrangement

The Registrar General’s Department (Ghana) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) have signed a statement of intent for a new Accelerated Patent Grant (APG) arrangement between the two Offices.

The APG will allow eligible patent applicants who have been granted a US patent from the USPTO to request that the Registrar General’s Department grant a patent on a corresponding Ghanaian patent application. 

The agreement was signed on 9 July 2026 in the margins of the WIPO Assemblies and will last for five years from the date of signature.

For more information, visit the USPTO website. For more about other worksharing initiatives among Offices and acceptance of equivalent search and examination by other Offices,visit WIPO’s dedicated webpages.

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