The Patent Cooperation Treaty or PCT is an international patent law treaty that facilitates the easier application of international patent protection. Currently, there are over 150 signatory countries to the PCT.
There is no single ‘international patent’ that can be applied for global protection of an innovation. However, the PCT allows an applicant to file for patent protection in multiple countries simultaneously through a single application.
Procedure
Once a patent has been applied for in Australia, an applicant typically files for further protection overseas in participating treaty countries via a Receiving Office. In Australia the receiving office is IP Australia.
The PCT application establishes a filing date in each nominated country where protection is sought and is then individually assessed by each nation’s patent offices for eligibility under an agreed set of standards.
Overseen by WIPO, the PCT gives a faster indication of patentability, streamlines the application process and can save time and money associated with securing multiple patents overseas.