What is an international patent?

An international patent is a type of patent that is valid in multiple countries at once. In North Carolina, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is in charge of granting patents for inventions. However, the USPTO does not issue international patents. Instead, inventors must seek international protection for their inventions through an international agreement known as the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The PCT is a multilateral treaty that provides a unified procedure for obtaining patents in numerous countries simultaneously. Once filed, a PCT application is assessed by the patent offices of the countries in which the inventor wishes to acquire protection. The application then proceeds to a national stage, where it is examined on a country-by-country basis. If granted, an international patent can provide inventors with legal protection over their inventions in multiple countries. International patents are a great tool for businesses looking to protect their inventions worldwide, allowing them to avoid the costly and time-consuming process of filing separate applications in each of the countries in which they wish to obtain protection.

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