Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)

The Patent Cooperation Treaty is a unified system for filing a single patent application in each of the Treaty’s contracting states by filing what is referred to as an “international application”, or a “PCT application.”

List of countries that are members of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)


Major advantages in filing a PCT application

Filing a PCT application delays the strategic decision of where to file, allowing time to evaluate the commercial success of your invention.

A PCT application delays the expense of filing individual patent applications in each member country in which the applicant wishes to seek patent protection.

A PCT application provides flexibility as to where patent examination occurs. For example, many patent professionals believe that the European Patent Organization (EPO) provides one of the most thorough searches in the world.

A positive examination report from the PCT system can make later filings in some countries go more smoothly, substantially reducing your later costs.