International Patent Filing Systems - PCT & GCC Patents

Analysis

Globalization is no longer the exclusive province of Multinational Companies. Companies large or small or anyone with a commercially attractive product should consider international markets and in doing so, seek patent protection in multiple countries.

Patent Cooperation Treaty (“PCT”)

The World Intellectual Property Organization's Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) provides the means to facilitate the filing and protection of patents internationally. In 2011 alone, more than 181,000 international patent applications were filed under the PCT.

This is the most international of patent applications one can file where a single filing can secure an effective filing date in all of its member countries. Its membership comprises a large number of countries and the list continues to grow.

The PCT system has in 2013 been adopted by 146 countries including numerous countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including:

• Algeria

• Bahrain

• Egypt

• Libya

• Morocco

• Oman

• Qatar

• Sudan

• Syria

• Tunisia

• UAE

The PCT patent application filing system includes two phases:

1. International Phase