PCT Yearly Review - WIPO

Section b
performance of the pct system
B.5.2 Timeliness in transmitting IPRPs
Similar to the establishment of search reports (see B.3.2),
the PCT regulations set a time limit for establishing the
IPRP: 28 months from the priority date; six months from
the start of the preliminary examination; or six months
from the date of receipt of the translated application
document by the IPEA (where relevant) – whichever time
limit expires latest.
In practice, most applicants enter the PCT national phase
immediately before the expiration of the time limit set by
the PCT, that is, 30 months from the priority date. The
establishment of IPRPs before 28 months from the priority
date is therefore intended to give applicants two months,
in principle, to evaluate the IPRP and consider its impact
on the decision to enter the PCT national phase.
Figure B.5.2 presents information on average timeliness in
transmitting IPRPs to the IB. Timeliness here is measured
using the date the IB receives reports, rather than the date
on which the reports were established. The measurement
may thus be influenced by transmittal times.
Average time in transmitting IPRPs has markedly increased
over the past decade. Since 2001, the delay in
transmitting IPRPs has almost constantly increased. The
only two exceptions were 2008 and 2012.
In 2012, the average time taken to transmit IPRPs decreased
by about one month: from 31.6 months in 2011
to 30.5 in 2012.
Figure B.5.2: Average timeliness in transmitting IPRPs to the IB
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Average timeliness in transmitting IPRPs
31
Months
30
29
28
27
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Year
Note: Timeliness is calculated as the time elapsed between the priority date and the date on which the IB received the IPRP from the IPEA.
Source: WIPO Statistics Database, March 2013
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