Many applicants use the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system as a first step to obtain patent protection for their inventions in a large number of countries. This practice-oriented book on the PCT – the only such book available – provides expert guidance on how to carry out the treaty’s procedures, from filing a single international patent application to starting prosecution before a plurality of national Offices. Building from an authoritative overview of the PCT’s sources and how they link to form the legal basis for a complete procedure, the contributors elucidate such invaluable practical details as the following: complete details on filing under the PCT, including the means of filing, fee payments, and priority, both in general and in specific national patent Offices; strategy points for making decisions on options in procedures and for drawing attention to important issues; citations from the Practical Advices published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); differences between several regional and national Offices, such as the EPO and the USPTO; extensive treatment of remedies available in each procedure; guidance through the PCT – Patent Prosecution Highway (PCT-PPH); and extensive linking to international and national resources for the PCT. The authors include legal experts from WIPO and the European Patent Office (EPO), as well as well-known patent law practitioners. With its wealth of guidance ranging from a broad introduction to specific details of procedural strategy, this book will be of immeasurable value in the day-to-day practice of patent attorneys, corporate counsel, and paralegals worldwide. It will be of great use to candidates preparing for exams where a profound knowledge of the PCT is required.

This manual provides guiding principles for the use of patent data in the context of S&T measurement, and recommendations for the compilation and interpretation of patent indicators in this context.

This Guide aims to assist users in searching for technology information using patent documents, a rich source of technical, legal and business information presented in a generally standardized format and often not reproduced anywhere else. Though the Guide focuses on patent information, many of the search techniques described here can also be applied in searching other non-patent sources of technology information.

The PATENTSCOPE search is the free of charge search service provided by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that allows you to access millions of patent documents, namely: International Patent Applications under the PCT Regional and national patent collections from all participating countries.

Attention: Inventors and startups! Is the patent system confusing to you? Navigating the Patent System will give you more clarity regarding your potential next steps and increase your confidence as you make your patenting decisions. 7 Core Patent Concepts, Drafting the Patent Application and FAQs during patent process are explained.

One of the important tasks of a patent office is to decide whether a patent shall be granted, or an application shall be refused, based on the procedures and patentability requirements under the applicable national law. Making such decisions accurately, effectively and efficiently is a complex mission, since many patent offices receive a constantly growing volume of patent applications of increasing complexity.