What is an international application?

An international application is a type of patent application that is filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), a treaty ratified by over 140 countries around the world. The purpose of this type of application is to allow an inventor to seek patent protection in multiple countries using a single application. In a PCT application, an inventor will identify the countries where they want to receive a patent and provide an exhaustive description of the invention. This allows for the inventor to receive a "patent filing date" in each country of interest, without having to prepare and submit multiple applications for the same invention. In California, an international application must be registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) before it can be filed with other countries. After registration, the international application is submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) along with a filing fee. WIPO then forwards the application to the countries listed in the application. The WIPO International Searching Authority (ISA) then performs a search to determine whether any similar inventions have been revealed. After the search is completed, the applicant may then have up to 18 months to decide whether they would like to proceed with the application and file it in the countries chosen. Overall, international patent applications are an important tool for inventors that wish to seek protection for their inventions around the world.

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