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WIPO Journal - World Intellectual Property Organization

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If an applicant files the international application at a non-competent receiving office, there is a fail-safe<br />

arrangement in PCT r.19.4(a)(i) providing that the application will be forwarded to the International<br />

Bureau and is considered to have been received by that receiving office on behalf of the International<br />

Bureau as receiving office under PCT r.19.1(a)(iii). In this situation, PCT art.11(1)(i) is in alignment with<br />

the requirements of the PLT.<br />

Language of filing an international application<br />

The requirement under PCT art.11(1)(ii) (“prescribed language”) is, in principle, different from that under<br />

PLT art.5(1). However, the fail-safe arrangement of PCT r.19.4(a)(ii) provides that, when an international<br />

application is filed in a language not accepted by the receiving office, that application will be forwarded<br />

to the International Bureau and is considered to have been received by that receiving office on behalf of<br />

the International Bureau as receiving office under PCT r.19.1(a)(iii). 34 The International Bureau of the<br />

<strong>WIPO</strong> accepts international applications filed in “any language”. 35<br />

Intended as an international application<br />

The requirement under PCT art.11(1)(iii)(a) (“indication international application”) is in alignment with<br />

that under PLT art.5(1)(i).<br />

Designation of at least one contracting state<br />

The requirement under PCT art.11(1)(iii)(b) (“designation of States”) is, in principle, different from that<br />

under PLT art.5(1). However, the adoption of PCT r.4.9 implies an automatic and all-inclusive designation<br />

of all PCT contracting states upon filing an international application. 36<br />

Identification of applicant<br />

Filing date requirements under the Patent Cooperation Treaty 179<br />

The requirement under PCT art.11(1)(iii)(c) (“applicant”) is different from that under PLT art.5(1)(ii).<br />

PCT r.20.1(b) gives a definition of this requirement:<br />

“For the purposes of Article 11(1)(iii)(c), it shall be sufficient to indicate the name of the applicant<br />

in a way which allows the identity of the applicant to be established even if the name is misspelled,<br />

the given names are not fully indicated, or, in the case of legal entities, the indication of the name is<br />

abbreviated or incomplete.”<br />

This definition only deals with the situation that the name of the applicant is more or less known but<br />

contains some formalities error (“misspelled” or incomplete address) which may be corrected upon<br />

invitation by the receiving office (such correction will not result in a re-dating of the international<br />

on the date on which the international application was actually received by the receiving office, the right to file an international application with that<br />

receiving office. In those circumstances, the applicant should submit evidence to the receiving office accordingly, together with a proposed correction<br />

of the indications concerning his residence and/or nationality. If the receiving office is satisfied, on the basis of that evidence, of the applicant’s right<br />

to file the international application, the invitation to correct the defect under PCT art.11(1)(i) will be considered to be an invitation to correct a defect<br />

under PCT art.14(1)(a)(ii) and r.4.5 in the prescribed indications concerning the applicant’s residence and/or nationality, and the indications may be<br />

corrected accordingly. If such a correction is made, no defect will be considered to exist under PCT art.11(1)(i), and the defect will thus not prevent<br />

the accordance of the actual date of receipt of the international application as the international filing date. Note, however, that the United States Patent<br />

and Trademark Office as receiving office has stated that it will not apply the procedure outlined above. See http://www.wipo.int/pct/en/appguide/index<br />

.jsp [Accessed March 29, 2011].<br />

34<br />

“Summary of the Session — Changes Related to the PLT: Language of the International Application and Translations” (prepared by the chair),<br />

Working Group on Reform of the PCT, Document PCT/R/WG/2/12 (May 2002), Item 27, at http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/details.jsp?meeting_id<br />

=4554 [Accessed March 29, 2011].<br />

35<br />

PCT Applicant’s Guide, 2011), International Phase — Annex C — International Bureau of the <strong>WIPO</strong>, at http://www.wipo.int/pct/en/appguide<br />

/index.jsp#I [Accessed March 29, 2011].<br />

36<br />

“Summary of the Session — Changes Related to the PLT” (prepared by the chair), Document PCT/R/WG/1/9 (November 2002), Items 12–13.<br />

(2011) 2 W.I.P.O.J., Issue 2 © 2011 Thomson Reuters (Professional) UK Limited

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