signed by more than 50 nations, the treaty enables an inventor to file one international patent application (in addition to the main patent) when applying for a patent in more than one country for the same invention. The treaty was drafted by the WIPO and became effective for member nations in 1978.
An international agreement which permits nationals and residents of a signatory country to seek patent protection in any or all of the signatories by means of a single patent application. See intellectual property rights.
A multilateral treaty among more than 50 nations that is designed to simplify the process of an applicant's seeking a patent on the same invention in more than one nation. Administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization and effective since 1978, the Patent Cooperation Treaty enables an inventor to file a single international application in addition to the main patent application filed in a treaty-member country.
A system by which a patent application can be filed in many different countries at once. A single international application is filed initially at a receiving office. After a search and publication, the application may be converted to a series of national applications in different countries
A multilateral treatyamongmore than 50 nations that is designed to simplify the process ofan applicant's seeking a patent on the same invention in morethan one nation. Administered by the World Intellectual PropertyOrganization and effective since 1978, the Patent CooperationTreaty enables an inventor to file a single internationalapplication in addition to the main patent application filed in atreaty-member country.
(PCT) – a multilateral treaty which became effective in 1978 that eliminates some of the duplication involved when obtaining patent protection for the same invention in several countries; more than 40 nations are signatories of the PCT; with the PCT it is possible to file and prosecute a single international application, which has the same effect as filing a separate application in each PCT nation that the inventor designates at the time of filing the application; the PCT neither creates an international patent nor changes the substantive requirements of patentability in any individual PCT nation (including the US), it merely reduces the duplication of effort required to file and processes parallel applications in several nations at the same time.
There are currently 108 contracting states to this treaty (as of June 2000). The PCT system offers an advantageous route for international patent protection with reduced costs. There are currently 96 signatories to this treaty. Contracting states may file an international application designating member states. If an applicant wants to press for grant in any of their designated states the patent application is moved to the national phase(s) but may carry the PCT priority filing date.
A mechanism for filing a single patent application to begin the process of filing for international patent protection within those member countries who have signed it. There are several phases in the PCT process, including the international and (country-specific) national phases.
An international treaty providing for standardized filing procedures for foreign patents in the countries that have signed the treaty.
The PCT is an international agreement which helps inventors obtain patents within the countries that are members to the agreement. The applicant files only needs to file one PCT application to the U.S. PTO international bureau and then a national application in every country he or she seeks protection in.
The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is an international patent law treaty, concluded in 1970. It provides a unified procedure for filing patent applications to protect inventions in each of its 135 Contracting States. A patent application filed under the PCT is called an international application or PCT application.
