Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) delivers a unified procedure for filing patent applications in any or all of its contracting nations. As a result, the patent application procedure has been simplified in most countries on earth. Despite being a great leap forward of efficiency international IP management, most have not heard of the PCT. Most strategic IP decisions are made long before IP Counsel is brought in. Why is this bad? Simply, IP risks and opportunities are everywhere. IP decisions are business decisions. With this in mind, business and technical professionals need to understand the Patent Cooperation Treaty and it's implications on international patent applications.