The Assembly of the PCT Union (PCT Assembly) has approved the recommendations made by the PCT Committee for Technical Cooperation (CTC) in February 2026, securing the PCT’s international search and preliminary examination framework for the next decade. The Assembly also adopted a range of further improvements that strengthen electronic services, enhance personal data protection, and streamline the handling of fees for applicants.
Long-term continuity and expanded regional coverage
Meeting during the Sixty-Eighth WIPO Assemblies, the PCT Assembly has extended the appointments of all twenty-five existing International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authorities until December 31, 2037.
The Assembly has also approved the appointment of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) under the PCT. When IMPI starts international search and preliminary examination operations, it will become the twenty-sixth PCT International Authority and the third based in Latin America and the Caribbean.
For PCT users around the globe, the search and preliminary examination services offered by International Authorities provide early, high-quality assessments of relevant prior art and patentability that help reduce uncertainty and support better business and filing decisions.
These decisions by the PCT Assembly help ensure uninterrupted access for applicants to one of the PCT’s most significant practical benefits and further increase users’ geographical proximity to international search and preliminary examination services.
List of International Authorities
Modernized agreements for clear, timely information
The Assembly also approved modernized agreements between the International Bureau of WIPO and the International Authorities, where detailed operational information like fees, language arrangements, and areas of competence is managed through notifications in the PCT Gazette and reflected in the PCT Applicant’s Guide.
By supporting easier access to accurate and up-to-date information, the new framework helps applicants and their representatives make better-informed decisions when preparing and managing their international applications.
The new agreements with the existing Authorities, together with related amendments to the PCT Regulations, take effect on January 1, 2028.
Improved electronic services and stronger personal data protection
A further set of amendments focuses on improving electronic services and providing a higher degree of protection for the personal data provided for PCT processing. Taking effect on July 1, 2027, these changes introduce the provision of an email address and a telephone number for processing an international application, allow certain personal data to be excluded from public access, and make it possible to update the address for correspondence later than 30 months from the priority date.
Together, these enhancements give applicants greater control over their information and more flexibility in managing their international applications.
Streamlined fee equivalents across currencies
In addition, the Assembly approved modifications to the Directives of the PCT Union Assembly relating to the establishment of equivalent amounts of certain fees, which will apply from January 1, 2027. These changes streamline the process for establishing equivalent amounts in different currencies when a fee amount is changed and reduce the time for a new equivalent amount to take effect following a fluctuation in an exchange rate.
For applicants, this means faster and more accurate information on fees when exchange rates move.
About PCT International Authorities
Under the PCT System, International Searching Authorities (ISAs) and International Preliminary Examining Authorities (IPEAs) are national or regional patent offices authorized to carry out key international phase tasks, which result in international search reports and written opinions on patentability.
Together, these services help applicants evaluate their inventions at an early stage, refine their claims, and make informed decisions about where and how to pursue patent protection.
About the PCT Assembly
The PCT Assembly is the governing body of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Union. Every State party to the Treaty is a member of the PCT Assembly. Among its tasks are the amendment of the PCT Regulations, the adoption of the biennial program and budget of the Union, and the appointment of International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authorities.
More information
- PCT Union – Assembly: Fifty-eighth (33rd Extraordinary) session
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