PCT Minimum Documentation
Part 4.1: Inventory of Patent and Utility Model Documents According to PCT Rule 34.1
Published in january 2026
1. The following information relates to the inventory of patent and utility model documents forming the PCT minimum documentation according to PCT Rule 34.1, effective from January 1, 2026.
2. There are six columns defined within the table below:
(a) The first column specifies the Issuing Office or Organization.
(b) The second column provides the two-letter code from WIPO Standard ST.3 for the Issuing Office or Organization indicated in the first column.
(c) The third column details the letter code from WIPO Standard ST.16 that corresponds to each kind of those documents. Further information on kind codes used by Offices or Organizations can be found in Part 7.3.2 of the WIPO Handbook on Intellectual Property Information and Documentation.
(d) The fourth column details a description for the different kinds of documents issued by each Office or Organization falling within the PCT minimum documentation according to PCT Rule 34.1.
(e) The fifth column shows the publication years of notified parts of the relevant collections. Only documents published in or after 1920 are considered part of the minimum documentation.
(f) The sixth column of the inventory indicates the file format that the documents are provided in for the front file, commencing from January 1, 2026. According to Annex H of the PCT Administrative Instructions the allowable formats are XML instances compliant with WIPO Standard ST.36 or ST.96, or plain text.
3. Reference should be made to Annex H of the Administrative Instructions under the PCT which sets out the technical requirements and procedures for inclusion of patent and utility model documentation and non-patent literature in the PCT minimum documentation.
4. The full inventory of patent and utility model documents for every patent Office or Organization is available in the table below.
