Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Applications
The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) offers a coordinated route for seeking patent protection in multiple countries. Carson Patents helps inventors prepare an international application and plan the later national or regional filings.
The PCT can give you time to evaluate markets and costs, but it does not create a worldwide patent. Your strategy should account for the invention, prior filings, deadlines, and the countries where protection would be useful.
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Patents Are Geographic, Country-Specific Protection
There is no single worldwide patent. National or regional offices decide whether to grant patents, and protection is territorial. A PCT application provides an international filing route; it does not itself grant enforceable patent rights worldwide.
International Patenting Can Start With a PCT Application
The PCT has an international phase followed by national or regional examination. We help you compare that route with direct filings based on your intended markets, timing, and budget.
The PCT is not the international filing route for ornamental designs. For designs, review our Hague application information.
PCT International Patent Applications
A single international application can preserve the opportunity to pursue protection in participating jurisdictions, subject to eligibility, filing requirements, and deadlines. Read more about patent pending and the WIPO PCT overview.
Utility and Plant Inventions
Whether an invention is eligible for protection depends on each jurisdiction’s law. We discuss the invention’s subject matter and intended markets before recommending a filing strategy.
Phase 1 — The International Phase
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) administers the PCT system. The international phase includes an international search and written opinion, followed by publication; optional preliminary examination may also be available. The opinion helps assess the application, but does not bind national offices to grant a patent.
Our preparation work focuses on a clear disclosure, appropriate claims, and consistent drawings. We also help you evaluate the search results and plan the next stage.
Phase 2 — National or Regional Entry
To continue seeking protection, applicants enter the selected national or regional phases, pay applicable fees, and meet local requirements. Many deadlines fall 30 or 31 months from the earliest priority date, but exceptions exist. Check WIPO’s office-specific deadlines.
We help plan countries, translations, local counsel, and costs. A Patent Prosecution Highway request may be available where the application and participating offices meet the relevant requirements; eligibility is not automatic.
Discuss Your Application
Tell us about your invention and goals so we can discuss the next steps.