2) The patent application process via the PCT – the international phase Flashcards
What is the PCT system and why file a PCT?
The PCT is a centralised filing system that allows an applicant to get pending patent protection in 153 countries.
It is not a granting authority.
Advantages of filing a PCT
o PCT filing = bundle of potential national applications
o Need only file one application in one language → application with effect of national or
regional filing for many states
o Deferred costs and decision making
o Early search and examination
Disadvantages of filing a PCT
o Delays national phase entry
o Unnecessary cost if you know which countries you wish to file in and do not need to delay
Recent joiners to PCT?
o Samoa – 2 October 2019 o Jordan – 9 March 2017 o Cambodia – 8 Sept 2016 o Djibouti – 23 June 2016 o Kuwait – 9 June 2016 o Iran – 4 July 2013 o Saudi Arabia – 3 May 2013 o Panama – 7 September 2012
Notable countries not in PCT
Argentina and Taiwan
Countries that can only be designated in a European patent application?
France, the Netherlands (and also Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland (since 1 July 2020),
Latvia, Malta, Monaco Slovenia, Lithuania)
Countries that can only be designated via another country.
Hong Kong via GB, EP(UK) or Chinese application
Who can apply?
• The PCT system can be used by a “resident or national of a PCT contracting state”. Residency and nationality is determined by the law of the particular contracting state.
o Possession of economic activity = residency
o Legal entity in a state = national
More than one applicant?
o Only one applicant need be entitled to file. Therefore provided there is at least one entitled applicant, it is ok for the application to include non-entitled applications (for example
patentees from Taiwan or Hong Kong).
What happens if you only have non-entitled applicant(s)?
What happens if you only have non-entitled applicant(s)?
o Make entitled person e.g. agent in Contracting State, further applicant and:
▪ Either make agent applicant for a non-relevant country like Chad and do nothing; or
▪ Transfer rights to non-entitled applicant
▪ Notify IB
▪ No issue once filing date established
Change Applicant Details?
- If you want to change the name, address, residence etc. of the applicant(s) you can notify the RO or preferably IB
- IB must have received request in writing by 30 months from priority date. Therefore, if close to this deadline file the request directly with the IB
- If you miss this date, you have to change the details in the national phase in each country – this can be expensive and is certainly time consuming.
Where to File (RO)?
The PCT application must be filed at a competent Receiving Office (RO).
However, importantly, if the PCT application is filed at RO at which the applicant is not entitled to file the application, it is forwarded to the International Bureau, which then acts as RO and the date of filing at noncompetent RO is retained.
Thus, filing at the wrong RO does not adversely affect the filing.
What is a “competent” Receiving Office?
o Based on the nationality/residence of the applicant;
o Applicants must almost always use the national/regional office of their country of
nationality/residence;
o In addition, any national/resident of a PCT country can use the International Bureau;
o For joint applicants of different nationality/residence, there is usually a choice of
national/regional offices;
o Nationals and residents of all EPC countries can use the EPO (NB national security)
[Art.151 EPC].
Requirements for a Filing Date (clenid)
• To be entitled to file the application at a receiving office (therefore if you are a Taiwanese national and resident, don’t file a PCT application solely in your own name);
• To use a prescribed language (although remember that the IB accepts any language so, in
practice, this is not a meaningful requirement); and
• To include:
o an indication that international patent application is intended
o the name of the applicant
o designation of at least one contracting state
o a description and one or more claims (however, now see missing element provisions
and incorporation by reference if this is not done – it may not affect the filing date
Fees - what are they, when are they due, any extensions? (sist)
• Within one month of date of receipt of international application, it is necessary to pay:
o The transmittal fee appropriate to the RO;
o The search fee appropriate to the ISA; and
o The international fee (including the fee per sheet over 30)
• If any or all of the fees are not paid, the RO sends an invitation to the applicant to pay the
missing fees:
o within one month of invitation;
o with a surcharge which is 50%, but not less than the transmittal fee or more than 50%
of the international filing fee
• If the applicant misses the initial one month deadline but sends the fees before the
invitation is sent to the applicant, the fees are deemed to have been received on time.
• If the fees are not paid in response to the invitation, the RO issues a declaration that the
application is deemed withdrawn. However, if the fees are paid (with surcharge) before the
declaration actually issues, the fees are deemed to have been filed on time and the
application remains alive.
What are the recent updates to fees?
• As from 1 April 2020, the search fee and preliminary examination fee for the EPO will be reduced by 75% if the international application, the request for supplementary international search or the demand for international preliminary examination, as the case may be, is filed:
o by a natural person who is a national of and resident in a State which is not a Contracting
State of the European Patent Convention, and which, on the date of filing of the application
or on the date of payment of the supplementary search fee or of the preliminary
examination fee, is classed by the World Bank as a low-income or lower-middle-income
economy; or
o by a natural or legal person who, within the meaning of PCT Rule 18, is a national of and
resident in a state in which a validation agreement with the European Patent Organisation
is in force.
• If there are several applicants, each must satisfy one of these criteria.
• The reduction in the search fee will apply to all international applications filed on or after 1 April
2020, and the reduction in the supplementary search fee or in the preliminary examination fee
will apply in respect of payments made on or after 1 April 2020.
Defects in the application that do not affect filing date (PASTA)
• When the RO receives the application, it also carries out a preliminary check to make sure
that everything has been filed correctly. If the RO identifies defects, it will contact the
applicant.
• Certain defects do not affect the filing date of the application and the RO writes to the
applicant inviting them to correct the defect within 2 months (the 2 month deadline was set
on 1 July 2009). Failure to correct these defects results in the application being deemed
withdrawn.
Defects falling into this category include:
• Lack of signature (if more than one applicant, request only needs signing by one applicant
entitled to file)
• Applicants’ details not presented in the prescribed manner (if more than one applicant,
details of only one applicant entitled to file need be given)
• No title
• No abstract
• Physical requirements of application not met (e.g. margins and drawings)
What can PCT applications claim priority from?
As for normal applications, a PCT application can claim priority from an earlier application
within 12 months of filing the earlier application. PCT applications can claim priority from:
o Earlier national filing in Paris Convention (PC) or WTO country
o An earlier EP filing (because equivalent to a regular national filing)
o An earlier PCT filing (equivalent to regular national filing)
What are the requirements to validly claim priority?
• As for normal applications, a PCT application can claim priority from an earlier application
within 12 months of filing the earlier application. PCT applications can claim priority from:
o Earlier national filing in Paris Convention (PC) or WTO country
o An earlier EP filing (because equivalent to a regular national filing)
o An earlier PCT filing (equivalent to regular national filing)
• To validly claim priority, a certified copy of the priority application is required by 16 months
from the priority date.
o But any certified copy that reached the IB before the publication date is deemed to
have been received within the 16 month period
o And, regardless, the national/regional offices must give the applicant an opportunity to
file a copy of the priority document at the start of the national/regional phase
Discuss how the priority date may change?
• The RO will invite an applicant to correct any obvious defect in a priority claim. The
applicant can also voluntarily change or add priority claim (R26bis1(a)):
o At least up to 4 months from international filing date
o Or, if later, the earlier of:
▪ 16 months from priority date
▪ 16 months from priority date as changed or corrected expires after 4 month time
limit can add or change priority claim up to expiry of 16 month time limit
• If the earliest priority date is changed, any PCT time limits that have not already expired
are recalculated from the new priority date.
• Most importantly, it is possible to extend the National phase deadlines by withdrawing a
priority claim
Discuss restoration in the context of priority.
• Discretionary right and is not available for all countries. LAST RESORT.
• Maximum extension of priority period: two months.
• Request restoration at RO (although can also request during national phase)
• Must include statement of reasons for failure to comply with the time limit (preferably with
declaration/evidence in support)
• Judged under one of two criteria:
1. failure to file the application within the priority period occurred in spite of due care
required by the circumstances having been taken
2. failure to file the application within the priority period was unintentional
• A) Incompatibility with priority restoration as RO [rule 26bis.3(j)] :
• BR (Brazil); CO (Colombia); CU (Cuba); CZ (Czech Republic); DE (Germany); DZ (Algeria);
GR (Greece); ID (Indonesia); IN (India); IT (Italy); KR (Korea); NO (Norway); PH (Philippines).
• * Norway no longer incompatible since 1 July 2019: applies “unintentional”
• B) Incompatibility of the effect of decision of RO on DO [49ter.1(g)]:
• BR (Brazil); CA (Canada); CN (China); CO (Colombia); CU (Cuba); CZ (Czech Republic); DE
Germany); DZ (Algeria); ID (Indonesia); IN (India); KR (Korea); LT (Lithuania); MX (Mexico);
NO (Norway); PH (Philippines); TR (Turkey)
• C) Incompatibility with Restoration of Right of Priority by Designated Office [49ter.2(h)]:
• BR (Brazil); CA (Canada); CN (China); CO (Colombia); CU (Cuba); CZ (Czech Republic); DE
(Germany); DZ (Algeria); ID (Indonesia); IN (India); KR (Korea); MX (Mexico); NO (Norway);
PH (Philippines); TR (Turkey)
Discuss the recent changes to the requirement for re-establishment of rights in Norway?
• From 1 July 2019, the “due care” requirement for re-establishment of rights after failure to
meet a deadline has been replaced by “unintentional” criterion.
• From 1 July 2019, the Norwegian Industrial Property Office, being PCT receiving office and
designated office, started considering requests to restore right of priority if an international
application fails to meet the deadline on or after 1 July 2019. It also started accepting such
requests made by another receiving office if the requests meet other necessary conditions.
• In addition, it will apply criterion of “unintentional” for restoration requests for a payment of
a restoration fee.
What is the International Searching Authority (ISA)?
• The International Searching Authority (ISA) is the body that carries out a search of the
invention in the PCT application. The selection of ISA depends on which RO are
competent ROs for the applicant(s). For example, for a PCT application filed at the UK
IPO as RO with a UK applicant, the applicant must use the EPO as competent ISA.
• If the International Bureau is used as RO, then the ISA depends on the ROs at which the
application should have been filed (i.e. it will be determined which ROs are competent and
the ISA is selected on this basis).
Discuss earlier searches conducted prior to the search by the ISA.
• Applicants can request ISA to take into account the results of earlier searches:
o If earlier search carried out by same Office that is acting as ISA they must take it into account
o If earlier search carried out by another Office, they may take it into account
• Why?
o May get partial refund of the search fee if the ISA took the search results into account
• Formalities requirements:
o Request must be made in request form and earlier search results provided unless:
o ISA carried out search / RO carried out search (can ask them to provide results to ISA / earlier
search results are available to ISA in acceptable manner (e.g. digital) and this is indicated on form
• Additional formalities:
o ISA may require
o Copy of earlier application (plus translation)
o Translation of search results
o Copy of documents cited in earlier search reports