What is a PCT?

What is a PCT (International Patent Application)?

A PCT is a single filing - at the Canadian Patent Office - in a single language - English - and the single filing is effective as patent applications worldwide. If you have 3 or more target countries where you want to procure a patent, a PCT filing is often an attractive option.

PCT can be filed as a first filing, or more commonly as a so called convention filing which claims the benefit of an earlier filing date of a previously filed patent application. For example, a US Provisional is filed today, and within 1 year from today a PCT is filed. Within 30 months from today, you enter the US, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and Indonesia (your sample target countries).

If your only target countries are the US and Canada, then individual filings in the US and Canada is often the more attractive option.