An international patent application, also known as a PCT application, allows you to postpone your final choice of countries until two and a half years after your first Dutch filing. A large number of countries worldwide are parties to the PCT.
Filing a PCT application allows you to file a national or regional patent application in one or more of these countries up to eighteen months after the end of the priority year. After this period, the PCT application automatically lapses.
You can also request a preliminary opinion on the patentability of your invention at an additional cost. For Dutch applicants, this opinion is prepared by the European Patent Office.
Would you like to know more about the costs of filing an international patent application? Contact your patent attorney for more information.
