Patent Cooperation Treaty
Quick Statistics:
Number of Pages: 199 pgs
Sections: 1801 – 1896
Brief Summary:
A Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application enables a U.S. applicant to file one international application (known as the international phase) to the U.S. and have that international application acknowledged as a regularly nationally filed application (known as the national phase) in as many member PCT countries as he or she designates.
An international PCT application goes through the international phase initially. Subsequently, the national phase will begin and the application is examined in the same manner as if it had been filed as a regular, nonprovisional application in each country designated in the international application.
Key Terms:
| International Searching Authority | Inventor’s Certificate | International Bureau |
| National Stage | Patent Cooperation Treaty | Receiving Office |
37 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations):
| 37 CFR 1.496 | Examination of international applications in the national stage. |
| 37 CFR 1.475 | Unity of invention before the International Searching Authority, the International Preliminary Examining Authority and during the national stage. |
35 USC (United States Code):
| 35 USC 361 | Receiving Office. |
| 35 USC 363 | International application designating the United States: Effect. |