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PCT Records 500,000th Application

Geneva, March 29, 2000
Press Releases PR/2000/213

The PCT—a system which over the past two decades has revolutionized the way patent protection is sought in multiple countries—marked a milestone in its history with the recent filing of the 500,000th application. The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), a US-based company that is one of the system's largest users, filed the 500,000th application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), an international agreement administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The PCT requires that details of the invention remain confidential until publication of the application.

The 250,000th international application under the PCT was received in February 1996, 18 years after the start of PCT operations. Accelerated growth of the PCT system in recent years has meant that it has taken only four years since the filing of the 250,000th application to reach the milestone of 500,000 international applications. Statistics for the first two months of this year indicate record use of the PCT. In February, alone, the PCT received 7,585 international applications representing the highest ever number of international applications received in a given month.

"We welcome the 500,000th PCT application, this coupled with the PCT's sustained record performance, is a sign of the user community's confidence in the system and recognition of the PCT as a cost-effective and efficient solution for businesses and inventors seeking patent protection in multiple countries," said Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of WIPO.

The success of the system and its bright prospects for the future are largely based on the multiple benefits offered by the PCT that result in significant savings—both in terms of time and money—for the user. "The success of the PCT spurs WIPO to continue working to improve and upgrade the services which the system provides to industry and commerce," the Director General said "The PCT buys you an option to seek patent protection in more than 100 countries. The PCT has no rival in that respect and for this reason is widely used by successful companies," Dr. Idris added.

Over the past few years, the top users of the system have been companies like P&G, Siemens, Philips, Ericsson, Bosch, Motorola, Nokia, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, Novartis, Sony Corporation and BASF.

Technological developments such as Johannes Gutenberg invention of the printing press in 1450, Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone in 1876 and Harley Procter's development of Ivory Soap in 1879 spurred the evolution of intellectual property protection, which, at that time was a purely national affair. In those times the world was a very different place. International trading links were still limited and the need for international cooperation was not as great as it is today. Today, the communications landscape of the world is radically different. This fact means that an invention's commercial value hinges to a large degree on the efficiency and reliability of the protection offered by the international patent system. The PCT is the best option for inventors to ensure that their works are protected in multiple countries. Technology associated with the development of the cellular telephone to the microchip to life-saving and lifestyle drugs, have passed through the PCT.

"Patents provide incentives by offering public recognition for creativity and material reward for marketable inventions," Dr. Idris said. This, he pointed out, assures that the quality of human life is continuously enhanced. "It is a simple formula—to live, we must create. And that is what the intellectual property system is all about: a better quality of life for everyone." Dr. Idris added "Inventors are society's most valuable resource. They are outstanding human beings who are capable of converting ideas into tangible objects through a process of creative genius. Invention and innovation must be encouraged and to do so inventors must have the incentive to create."

Background

The PCT was concluded in 1970 and entered into force in 1978 with the adherence of 18 countries . Today, the PCT offers advantages to patent applicants, national patent offices, and the public in the 108 states that have joined the system. Instead of filing separate national patent applications with the office of each country in which a patent is sought, the PCT allows an inventor to file one "international" application in one language and to seek protection simultaneously in more than 100 member states. The effect of such an international application in each "designated state" is the same as if a national or regional patent application had been filed with the national patent office of that country or the relevant regional patent office. The PCT offers applicants up to 18 months more time (or even more in some cases) than they would have under the traditional patent system to decide whether and for which countries they wish to pursue patent protection. In this way, they delay, by the same number of months, the expenses of translating the application, paying national fees and appointing local patent agents. In addition, thanks to the international search report and international preliminary examination report, applicants have a clear view of whether it would be worthwhile to continue to pursue their aim of obtaining patents for their inventions. They also benefit from the uniform formality requirements and centralized international publication provided by the PCT system.

Another benefit of the international patent system is the wealth of technical information that it provides. The PCT Gazette, which is now available in electronic form, is a patent information database containing the first page data (bibliographic data, abstract and drawing) of published PCT applications supporting fully searchable information retrieval and display. This Internet based service also features automatic links to esp@cenet to provide the full text of the PCT applications in image format (see http://pctgazette.wipo.int ) The information contained therein is a valuable resource in spurring future research efforts and in promoting technology transfer to developing countries, in particular.

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