Like other patent applications, international PCT patent applications also need to go through the processes of application, retrieval, examination and approval, publication and authorization. The submission of international patents can only be carried out in the designated international patent application acceptance bureau. In China, China Intellectual Property Office is the only accepting bureau.
At the beginning of the application, the inventor should not only determine the type of patent application, but also plan the member countries that apply for patents. If the inventor's international patent application is approved, the inventor's patent will effectively exist in these member countries and be protected by the international patent law. In China Intellectual Property Office, PCT patent applications are accepted in both Chinese and English.
Frequently asked questions: Matters needing attention in patent application
The invention after submitting an international patent application will enter the stages of acceptance, retrieval, formal examination, publication and substantive examination in turn. Generally speaking, in the initial stage, as long as the inventor's materials are correct and the file application format is correct, it can be accepted smoothly and enter the next stage of retrieval.
Compared with other processes, retrieval is a closed process. A few months later, as long as there is no single or obvious error, the inventor can receive the search report and results issued or published by the agency. If the invention successfully passes the retrieval stage, it will enter the formal review stage.
Inventions subject to formal examination, like ordinary patent applications, generally examine the novelty, innovation and practicality of inventions. During this period, the inventor can modify and state the submitted contents according to his own needs or according to the opinions of the examination institution. Inventions that meet the requirements of international patent applications will enter the next step of publication and substantive examination procedures. The substantive examination process is a further examination of international patent applications.
After the international patent application procedure is completed, the inventor still needs to go to the designated member country, pay the corresponding patent application fee, and translate the text into the changed language before going through the corresponding formalities. Until 30 months, or 20 months later, the entire PCT patent application is over.
The above is the process of PCT patent application. What is this? For more questions about the patent application process, please consult Intellectual Property, and 24-hour online customer service will answer them for you.
International PCT patent application patent application process