Foreign Patent Applications and the Patent Cooperation Treaty

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) of 1970 was created to simplify the patent application process for international patent protection.  Prior to the PCT, the primary means for obtaining international patent protection was the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.  Under the Paris Convention, still in effect, applicants are required to submit separate filings to secure patent protection in each country where protection is sought.  However, under the PCT, with over 120 signatory countries, applicants may secure patent protection for all signatory countries simultaneously with fewer procedural steps.  On a practical level, where patent protection is only sought in only one or two countries, choosing to utilize the Paris Convention would likely be more cost effective and expeditious.

 

The inventor files an initial PCT patent application in which all contracting
countries are automatically designated. This
application is generally filed in the national patent office of the country
where the inventor
resides.  The PCT application is then subject to an international search
by a national patent office, resulting in an “international search report.”  This
report contains a listing of all of the items which could possibly affect the
patentability of the invention in any of the countries designated in the application,
e.g., prior art. 

 

Upon receipt of this report, the inventor has the option to withdraw the application if it seems unlikely that a patent will be granted.  If the application is not withdrawn, the international application and search report are then published by the International Bureau and sent to each office designated in the PCT application.

 

After filing the PCT, an applicant may at any time opt to enter the national stage, a phase in the patent process where the application is sent to each designated country for national filing.  Some member countries, however, have time restrictions in place, requiring national or regional applications to be filed within 20 months of the initial PCT application.  Such countries may extend this deadline where the applicant has requested an “international preliminary examination report.” 

 

Applicants gain additional time for filing their patent application by
their participation in the PCT rather than filing separate applications in
each country
where they
wish to gain patent protection.  The applicant, due to the additional
available time, may obtain translations of the patent application and pay the
filing fees in the foreign countries with greater ease.  The burden on
each national patent office is reduced greatly through the generation of the
international search report on the patentability of the invention.  The
extensive international search performed by a national patent office allows
the applicant to make an informed decision on whether to continue to pursue
the PCT application, thereby saving both time and money.

 

Each year, the number of international patents filed increases substantially.  One reason the PCT continues to enjoy such popularity is the fact that it is frequently updated for increased efficiency.  Since its introduction, it has been amended or modified three times, including revisions in its procedures to increase efficiency and ease of use.  Such reform has been encouraged due to the designation of two committees created to receive suggestions for areas of reform: the Working Group on Reform of the PCT and the Committee on Reform of the PCT.

 

If you are contemplating international protection for your invention, please contact us to discuss the possiblity of pursuing a PCT patent applicaiton.