The qualified British and European patent attorneys at Albright IP can provide you with expert international patent advice and guidance, and represent you before the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Albright IP also has an extensive network of foreign attorney contacts, providing cost-effective services for patents all over the world. Please watch the video below to learn more about international patents.
International patent application procedure (PCT)
An international, or PCT (Patent Co-operation Treaty), patent application is a very cost-effective and flexible method for securing patent protection in up to 148 territories worldwide. This is separate to ‘national filings’, which involves filing separate patent applications in individual countries. Our qualified and experienced attorneys with engineering and science backgrounds are able to cost-effectively draft, file, and prosecute International patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, also known as the PCT.
When should I file a PCT patent application?
Before filing for overseas patents, it is usual to file a base patent application here in the UK, or your home country, first. This base application serves to establish a priority date for your invention. It is then possible to defer your overseas patent applications for up to one year from the priority date in countries party to the Paris Convention. Albright IP can advise you regarding a foreign filing strategy, whilst taking account of your circumstances. This may be direct filings claiming priority from your domestic patent application, or national stage entry from your international PCT patent application.
When will a PCT patent application grant?
Patents are granted as territorial rights. It is not yet possible to obtain “worldwide” patent protection through a single patent. However, a PCT application is a single patent application, which sets the ball rolling for patenting in most industrialized countries. A PCT application typically lasts for a total of 30 months or, in some cases, 31 months from the earliest filing date (also known as priority date). At the end of this period, it must undergo a conversion process to become a national or regional patent application. This conversion process is known as national or regional phase entry. The resulting national or regional patent applications may themselves proceed to grant, but the PCT application does not.