Summary

The Patent Cooperation Treaty provides a simplified procedure for an inventor or applicant to apply for and eventually obtain patents in a large number of countries. In addition it promotes and facilitates the exchange of

technical information contained in patent documents to industries and workers in the relevant field. The advantage to an applicant in using the PCT is that by filing one application at one patent office, in one language, he will obtain an international filing date, and that filing date will have effect in each of the designated countries. In addition the PCT provides a period of time in which the applicant can decide whether to proceed in each of the designated countries.The main role of WIPO in the PCT process is to facilitate the treaty by communicating the PCT request to the designated countries and publishing all PCT applications.

The way in which a PCT application is processed is shown in the following figure:

Legislative Text

Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks

Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks

Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs

Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).