Patent Cooperation Treaty

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which makes it possible to initiate the patent granting process in over 150 countries with a single application.

Before the PCT, inventors had to file separate patent applications in each country where they desired protection. This was a complex, expensive, and time-consuming undertaking involving multiple filings, translations, and fees. The PCT addresses these challenges by offering a streamlined process.

The PCT does not grant an "international patent" directly; rather, it provides a unified filing and search procedure that simplifies the process of obtaining national or regional patents in multiple jurisdictions. 

Contracting Parties:

Albania - Algeria - Angola - Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Armenia - Australia-Austria - Azerbaijan - Bahrain - Barbados - Belarus - Belgium - Belize - Benin - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Botswana - Brazil - Brunei Darussalam - Bulgaria - Burkina Faso - Cabo Verde - Cambodia - Cameroon - Canada - Central African Republic - Chad - Chile - China - Colombia - Comoros - Congo - Costa Rica-Côte d'Ivoire - Croatia - Cuba - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Denmark - Djibouti - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Ecuador - Egypt - El Salvador - Equatorial Guinea - Estonia - Eswatini - Finland - France - Gabon-Gambia - Georgia - Germany - Ghana - Greece - Grenada - Guatemala - Guinea -Guinea-Bissau - Holy See - Honduras - Hungary - Iceland - India - Indonesia -Iran -Iraq - Ireland - Israel - Italy - Jamaica - Japan - Jordan - Kazakhstan - Kenya- Kuwait - Kyrgyzstan - Lao People's Democratic Republic - Latvia - Lesotho- Liberia- Libya - Liechtenstein - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Madagascar - Malawi- Malaysia - Mali - Malta - Mauritania - Mauritius - Mexico - Monaco - Mongolia- Montenegro - Morocco - Mozambique - Namibia - Netherlands - New Zealand- Nicaragua - Niger - Nigeria - North Macedonia - Norway - Oman - Panama - Papua New Guinea - Peru - Philippines - Poland - Portugal - Qatar - Republic of Korea-Republic of Moldova - Romania - Russian Federation - Rwanda - Saint Kitts and Nevis - Saint Lucia - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Samoa - San Marino - Sao Tome and Principe - Saudi Arabia - Senegal - Serbia - Seychelles - Sierra Leone- Singapore - Slovakia - Slovenia - South Africa - Spain - Sri Lanka - Sudan- Sweden- Switzerland - Syrian Arab Republic - Tajikistan - Thailand - Togo - Trinidad and Tobago - Tunisia - Türkiye - Turkmenistan - Uganda - Ukraine -United Arab Emirates - United Kingdom - United Republic of Tanzania - United States of America - Uruguay - Uzbekistan - VietNam - Zambia - Zimbabwe.