PCT is the abbreviation of PATENT COOPERATION TREATY, which is an international treaty for cooperation in the patent field. Its purpose is to solve the problem of applying for a patent in multiple countries for the same invention-creation, and to reduce the repeated work of the applicant and the patent offices. Under this background, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) was signed in Washington in June 197, and came into effect in January 1978, and was implemented in June of the same year. China joined the PCT on January 1st, 1994. At the same time, China National Intellectual Property Administration, China, as an acceptance bureau, an international retrieval unit and an international preliminary examination unit, accepts international applications for PCT from citizens, residents and units in China. As of March 217, the number of PCT member countries has increased to 152. (On March 7, 217, Jordan submitted the legal documents to join the PCT, becoming the 152nd member of the PCT, and Jordan officially became a member of the PCT on June 9, 217. )

PCT patent application flow chart

Reminder: Patent applicants can only apply for a patent through PCT, but can't get a patent directly through PCT (PCT application is divided into international stage and national stage). In order to obtain a patent in a certain country, the patent applicant must also go through the formalities of entering the country, and the patent office of that country will examine the patent application. If it meets the requirements of the patent law of that country, the patent right will be granted.