The first stage of PCT international patent application is the international stage. It includes the necessary procedures of international application acceptance, formal examination, international retrieval and international publication, as well as optional international preliminary examination procedures.
Application materials submitted to PCT:
1) power of attorney;
(2) The name, address and postal code of the patent applicant;
(3) the name, address and postal code of the inventor;
4) China application acceptance letter;
5) Application documents (including specifications, claims, abstracts and drawings)
Process:
1. The applicant can file a PCT international application in China National Intellectual Property Administration, China within 12 months from the filing date (priority date) of the earlier application in China, claiming the priority of China without submitting the priority certificate.
2. China National Intellectual Property Administration, China accepts patent applications as an acceptance bureau and publishes international search reports as an international search unit. The applicant may modify his patent application documents according to the above search report.
3. Internationally published patent applications. The International Bureau will publish it within 18 months from the priority date.
4. Make a request for international preliminary examination. The applicant shall file an international preliminary examination request at the same time as the application or within 19 months from the priority date, and pay the examination fee.
5. According to the international preliminary examination report issued by the international preliminary examination unit, the applicant may modify his patent application documents according to the report.