PCT专利Overview.pdf

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and its Advantages Outline 1) What is the PCT? 2) Why use the PCT? What are its advantages? 3) Recent PCT Developments 1) What is the PCT? What is the PCT? • A mainly procedural international treaty facilitating certain steps in the process of obtaining patents internationally • More specifically, the PCT establishes a procedure for the filing and processing of a single application for a patent which has legal effect in the countries which are Treaty members • Simplifies the procedure for obtaining patent protection in many countries, making it more efficient and economical for: (1) users of the patent system (applicants and inventors); and (2) patent Offices What is the PCT? • The decision on granting patents is made exclusively by national or regional Offices in the national phase • Signed in June 1970, in Washington, D.C., and became operational in June 1978 with 18 States • As of 1 March 2007, the PCT has 137 Contracting States What is the PCT? =PCT Costa Rica Albania Côte dIvoire Algeria Croatia Antigua and Barbuda Cuba Armenia Cyprus St. Kitts and Nevis Australia Czech Republic Guinea-Bissau Sweden Austria Democratic Peoples Honduras Malawi Poland Switzerland Azerbaijan Republic of Korea Hungary