- 1). Write a PCT application. The United States, Europe and Japan have agreed on a standard PCT application format. The PCT application includes the invention description, background investigation results, invention schematics or drawings, intellectual property claims and an abstract.
- 2). Hire a patent agent or patent attorney to review the PCT application. The intellectual property claims detailed in the PCT application provide the basis for the rights an inventor receives. Hire an attorney to review the application to ensure thoroughness and the use of proper legal language.
- 3). Submit the PCT application to your Receiving Office of choice. All contracting states of the PCT accept international applications. Submit your application to the Receiving Office you choose. In the United States, the government designates the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as the Receiving Office for PCT applications. The Receiving Office reviews the international application before determining the overall patentability of the invention.
- 4). Send the PCT application and examination results to individual countries for review. Most countries around the world are signatories of the PCT. Designate which contracting states to forward the PCT application to. Upon receipt, each country reviews the PCT application and determines whether to grant a patent for that country or not. The World Intellectual Property Organization calls this the "National Phase."
- 5). Write patent applications for non-PCT signatory countries. Certain countries are not contracting states to the PCT. Contact the local intellectual property offices of these countries to determine patent application requirements.
- 6). Submit these individual applications to designated countries for review. After examination, each country notifies the inventor if it grants a patent, denies the patent request or requires more information.
Source...