MPEP 1801

1801 Basic Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Principles

I. MAJOR CONCEPTS OF THE PCT

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) enables the U.S. applicant to file one application, “an international application,” in a standardized format in English in the U.S. Receiving Office (the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), and have that application acknowledged as a regular national or regional filing in as many Contracting States to the PCT as the applicant “designates” or “elects,” that is, names, as countries or regions in which patent protection is desired.

In the same manner, the PCT enables foreign applicants to file a PCT international application, designating the United States of America, in their home language in their home patent office and have the application acknowledged as a regular U.S. national filing. The PCT also provides for an international search report and written opinion (for international applications filed on or after January 1, 2004) that are established normally at 16 months from the priority date, and publication of the international application after 18 months from the priority date. Upon payment of national fees and the furnishing of any required translation, usually 30 months after the filing of any priority application for the invention, or the international filing date if no priority is claimed, the application will be subjected to national procedures for granting of patents in each of the designated countries. For any countries remaining whose national laws are not compatible with the 30 month period set forth in PCT Article 22(1), the filing of a demand for an international preliminary examination electing such countries within 19 months from the priority date will result in an extension of the period for entering the national stage to 30 months from the priority date. A brief description of the basic flow under the PCT is provided in MPEP § 1842.

The PCT offers an alternative route to filing patent applications directly in the patent offices of those countries which are Contracting States of the PCT.

In most instances a national U.S. application is filed first. An international application for the same subject matter will then be filed subsequently within the priority year provided by the Paris Convention and the priority benefit of the U.S. national application filing date will be claimed.

II. RECEIVING OFFICE (RO)

The international application (IA) must be filed in the prescribed receiving Office (RO). The United States Patent and Trademark Office will act as a receiving Office for United States residents and nationals. The International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization will also act as a Receiving Office for U.S. residents and nationals. The receiving Office functions as the filing and formalities review organization for international applications. International applications must contain upon filing the designation of at least one Contracting State in which patent protection is desired and must meet certain standards for completeness and formality.

Where a priority claim is made, the date of the earlier filed national application is used as the date for determining the timing of international processing, including the various transmittals, the payment of certain international and national fees, and publication of the application. Where no priority claim is made, the international filing date will be considered to be the "priority date" for timing purposes.

The international application is subject to the payment of certain fees within 1 month from the date of filing.

III. INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY (ISA)

The basic functions of the International Searching Authority (ISA) are to conduct a prior art search of inventions claimed in international applications; it does this by searching in at least the minimum documentation defined by the Treaty (PCT Articles 15 and 16 and PCT Rule 34), and for international applications filed on or after January 1, 2004, to issue a written opinion (PCT Rule 43bis) which will normally be considered to be the first written opinion of the International Preliminary Examining Authority where international preliminary examination is demanded. See PCT Rule 66.1bis.

For most applications filed with the United States Receiving Office, the applicant may choose (in the Request form) either the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or the European Patent Office to act as the International Searching Authority. However, the European Patent Office may not be competent to act as an International Searching Authority for certain applications filed by nationals or residents of the United States. See MPEP § 1840.01 for a discussion of applications and subject matter that will not be searched by the European Patent Office. The International Searching Authority is also responsible for checking the content of the title and abstract (PCT Rules 37.2 and 38.2).

An international search report (ISR), and for international applications filed on or after January 1, 2004, a written opinion, will normally be issued by the International Searching Authority within 3 months from the receipt of the search copy (usually about 16 months after the priority date) (PCT Rule 42). Copies of the international search report and prior art cited will be sent to the applicant by the ISA (PCT Rules 43and 44.1). The international search report will contain a listing of documents found to be relevant and will identify the claims in the application to which they are pertinent. In applications filed on or after January 1, 2004, the ISA will normally issue a written opinion as to whether each claim appears to satisfy the PCT Article 33 criteria of “novelty,” “inventive step,” and “industrially applicable.” The written opinion may also indicate defects in the form or content of the international application under the PCT articles and regulations, as well as any observations the ISA wishes to make on the clarity of the claims, the description, and the drawings, or on the question of whether the claims are fully supported by the description.

Once the international search report and written opinion are established, the ISA transmits one copy of each to the applicant and the International Bureau, and international processing continues before the International Bureau.

IV. INTERNATIONAL BUREAU (IB)

The basic functions of the International Bureau (IB) are to maintain the master file of all international applications and to act as the publisher and central coordinating body under the Treaty. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland performs the duties of the International Bureau.

If the applicant has not filed a certified copy of the priority document in the receiving Office with the international application, or requested upon filing that the receiving Office prepare and transmit to the International Bureau a copy of the prior U.S. national application, the priority of which is claimed, the applicant must submit such a document directly to the International Bureau or the receiving Office not later than 16 months after the priority date (PCT Rule 17). The request (Form PCT/RO/101) contains a box which can be checked requesting that the receiving Office prepare the certified copy. This is only possible, of course, if the receiving Office is a part of the same national Office where the priority application was filed.

The applicant has normally 2 months from the date of transmittal of the international search report to amend the claims by filing an amendment and may file a brief statement explaining the amendment directly with the International Bureau (PCT Article 19and PCT Rule 46). The International Bureau will then normally publish the international application along with the search report and any amended claims at the expiration of 18 months from the priority date (PCT Article 21). The written opinion, on the other hand, will not be made publicly available until the expiration of 30 months from the priority date. See PCT Rule 44ter. The international publication includes a front page containing bibliographical data, the abstract, and a figure of the drawing (PCT Rule 48). The publication also contains the search report and any amendments to the claims submitted by the applicant. If the application is published in a language other than English, the search report and abstract are also published in English. The International Bureau publishes a PCT Gazette in the French and English languages which contains information similar to that on the front pages of published international applications, as well as various indexes and announcements. The International Bureau also transmits copies of the publication of the international application to all designated Offices that have requested to receive the publication.

V. DESIGNATED OFFICE (DO) and ELECTED OFFICE (EO)

The designated Office is the national Office (for example, the USPTO) acting for the state or region designated under Chapter I. Similarly, the elected Office is the national Office acting for the state or region elected under Chapter II.

PCT Article 22(1) was amended, effective April 1, 2002, to specify that a copy of the international application, a translation thereof (as prescribed), and the national fee are due to the designated Office not later than at the expiration of 30 months from the priority date. Accordingly, the time period for filing the copy of the international application, the translation, and the fee under PCT Article 22 is now the same as the 30 month time period set forth in PCT Article 39. The USPTO has adopted the 30 month time limit set forth in PCT Article 22(1). Most Contracting States have changed their national laws for consistency with PCT Article 22(1) as amended. An up-to-date listing of Contracting States that have adopted Article 22(1) as amended is maintained at WIPO’s website at http:// www.wipo.int/pct/en/texts/pdf/time_limits.pdf. For those few remaining Contracting States that have not adopted Article 22(1) as amended, if no “Demand” for international preliminary examination has been filed within 19 months of the priority date, the applicant may be required to complete the requirements for entering the national stage within 20 months from the priority date of the international application in the national offices of those states. When entering the national stage following Chapter I, the applicant has the right to amend the application within the time limit set forth in PCT Rule 52.1. After this time limit has expired (PCT Article 28 and PCT Rule 52), each designated Office will make its own determination as to the patentability of the application based upon its own specific national or regional laws (PCT Article 27(5)).

If the applicant desires to obtain the benefit of delaying the entry into the national stage until 30 months from the priority date in one or more countries where the 30 month time limit set forth in PCT Article 22(1) as amended does not apply, a Demand for international preliminary examination must be filed with an appropriate International Preliminary Examining Authority within 19 months of the priority date. Those states in which the Chapter II procedure is desired must be “elected” in the Demand. For international applications filed on or after January 1, 2004, the applicant should file the demand with the competent International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) before the expiration of the later of the following time limits: (A) three months from the date of transmittal to the applicant of the international search report and written opinion under PCT Rule 43bis.1, or of the declaration referred to in PCT Article 17(2)(a); or (B) 22 months from the priority date of the international application. However, applicant may still desire to file the demand by 19 months from the priority date for those countries that have not yet adopted PCT Article 22(1) as amended.

The original Demand is forwarded to the International Bureau by the IPEA. The International Bureau then notifies the various elected Offices that the applicant has entered Chapter II and sends a copy of any amendments filed under PCT Article 19 and any statement explaining the amendments to the IPEA. See PCT Rule 62. In applications filed on or after January 1, 2004, the International Bureau also sends the IPEA a copy of the written opinion established by the International Searching Authority unless the International Searching Authority is also acting as IPEA. See PCT Rule 62.1(i).

VI. INTERNATIONAL PRELIMINARY EX- AMINING AUTHORITY (IPEA)

The International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) normally starts the examination process when it is in possession of:

(A) the demand;

(B) the amount due;

(C) if the applicant is required to furnish a translation under PCT Rule 55.2, that translation;

(D) either the international search report or a notice of the declaration by the International Searching Authority (ISA) that no international search report will be established; and

(E) if the international application has a filing date on or after January 1, 2004, the written opinion established under PCT Rule 43bis.1.

However, for international applications having an international filing date on or after January 1, 2004, the IPEA shall not start the international preliminary examination before the expiration of the later of three months from the transmittal of the international search report (or declaration that no international search report will be established) and written opinion; or the expiration of 22 months from the priority date unless the applicant expressly requests an earlier start, with the exception of the situations provided for in PCT Rule 69.1(b)-(e).

The written opinion of the ISA is usually considered the first written opinion of the IPEA unless the IPEA has notified the International Bureau that written opinions established by specified International Searching Authorities shall not be considered a written opinion for this purpose. See PCT Rule 66.1bis. Also, the IPEA may, at its discretion issue further written opinions provided sufficient time is available. See PCT Rule 66.4.

The IPEA establishes the international preliminary examination report (entitled “international preliminary report on patentability” for applications having an international filing date on or after January 1, 2004), which presents the examiner’s final position as to whether each claim is “novel,” involves “inventive step,” and is “industrially applicable” by 28 months from the priority date. A copy of the international preliminary examination report is sent to the applicant and to the International Bureau. The International Bureau then communicates a copy of the international preliminary examination report to each elected Office.

The applicant must complete the requirements for entering the national stage by the expiration of 30 months from the priority date to avoid any question of withdrawal of the application as to that elected Office; however, some elected Offices provide a longer period to complete the requirements.

A listing of all national and regional offices, and the corresponding time limits for entering the national stage after PCT Chapter I and PCT Chapter II, may be found on WIPO’s web site at: http://www.wipo.int/ pct/en/index.html.