How to File a PCT Patent
- 1). Select where to file the PCT application. All PCT contracting states accept PCT applications at their designated receiving office. The United States designates its receiving office as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or the USPTO. To file at a specific receiving office, at least one of the inventors must claim nationality in any of the contracting states. Some countries' receiving offices require one of the inventors to hail from within their borders to file a PCT application with them. Inventors of any nationality may file PCT applications at the International Bureau in Geneva, Switzerland.
- 2). Verify in which countries you seek patent protection. Inventors may request patent protection in any or all contracting states of the PCT. However, each additional country or region requires extra time and fees to receive final patent approval.
- 3). Complete PCT Request Form PCT/RO/101. All receiving offices require this PCT application request form to accompany the PCT application. Form PCT/RO/101 designates the type of patent sought, where the inventor seeks protection and inventor correspondence information.
- 4). Write a patent application conforming to PCT standards. All PCT applications must follow a format designated by the World Intellectual Property Organization. PCT applications must include sections on the invention description, intellectual property claims, drawings, an abstract and a sequence listing.
- 5). Submit the PCT application and form PCT/RO/101 to the selected receiving office. Compile the application and submit via mail or electronically to your designated receiving office. Contact the receiving office for exact submission procedures.
- 6). Pay associated PCT application fees. Different receiving offices charge varying fees. As of June 2010, the USPTO charged a $240 transmittal fee, a $1,092 to $2,080 search fee, and about a $1,300 filing fee.
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