A PCT Patent Application gives you protection so long as you eventually convert it into a non-provisional patent application in each country you want patent rights in. This is especially true for the European Regional Phase, where further examination essentially continues from where the international examination stopped.The deadline for filing the Demand is the later of: 22 months from the priority date, and 3 months from the issuance of the WOISA.
In such cases, the patent specification and the associated formal papers are filed in English.It is generally necessary to provide the names, contact addresses and nationalities of the applicants, as well as the names and contact addresses of the inventors.It is no longer necessary to choose which countries/regions or which types of protection (e.g., patents, utility models, etc.) The WOISA is an initial opinion on the core patentability requirements: novelty, inventiveness and industrial applicability.It is possible to file amended claims in reply to the ISR. Publication can only be prevented by withdrawing the international patent application, no later than about three weeks before the expected publication date.PCT applications are automatically subject to examination. See our information sheet entitled PCT Member States.Note that the PCT system does not examine patent applications fully and it does not grant patents. This must be done by the appropriate deadline. If patent protection is required abroad, it is necessary to file foreign patent applications. If possible, the ISR will be included in the publication. you wish.
It is also possible that the only foreign countries that you care about are not members of the PCT (e.g., Taiwan).
Keep in mind that you must file your US application prior to any public disclosures to safely reserve the right to seek foreign patent protection. In general, you will need to decide in which countries/regions you wish to proceed well before 30 months from the priority date. However, if a Demand is filed, examination is performed with interaction between the applicant and the Examiner (under Chapter II). If you would like further information on assignments, please let us know.If there is at least one applicant who is a UK resident or national, the PCT application is usually filed at the UK Intellectual Property Office.
Instead, the PCT application must be taken into the National/Regional Phase in those countries/regions where patent protection is to be sought.
There is no such thing as an "international patent." 1 European patent applications include direct European applications (Direct) and international (PCT) applications that entered the European phase during the reporting period (PCT regional). However, the PCT system does enable you to delay the very expensive step of filing many individual foreign patent applications, and it does provide you with some information for assessing the prospects of actually obtaining granted patents, and their potential scope of protection, before major costs are incurred.Usually, an applicant begins by filing a patent application at the local national patent office, for example the UK Intellectual Property Office. Any changes to the PCT procedures before the EPO after that date are not reflected in the information provided here.
Depending upon the details, we may still be able to file the PCT application on your behalf, for example at the European Patent Office (EPO) or at the International Bureau (IB) of WIPO in Geneva.A PCT application automatically covers many countries, and it is possible to have different applicants for different countries.When any applicant in the PCT application is not also an inventor, we strongly recommend that, at the time of filing the PCT application, the inventor(s) sign an assignment document. The residences and nationalities of the applicants also determine where the PCT application can be filed.If none of the applicants is a resident or national of a member state, then a PCT application cannot be filed.