: The subject of international patent is constantly evolving. It is a complex set of legal issues that spans national borders. A majority of nations has entered into an international agreement called the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in which they have agreed to respect each other’s patent rights despite differences in their national patent laws.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was formed whose main purposes were to provide a central clearinghouse for international patent and to help organize and standardize intellectual property rights among all of its member states.
Citizens of any country that have signed the PCT treaty may apply for an international patent for any invention or design. However, normally it is the more upcoming and innovative discovery like new drug compounds or memory chips that eventually gets the international patent.
International recognition of patent rights was formalized after the Strasbourg Agreement. This was signed in 1971 in Strasbourg, France. The purpose of the agreement was to “establish closer international cooperation in the industrial property field.” This agreement created the International Patent Classification system, or IPC.
Countries that took part in the Strasbourg Agreement or signed it later are considered members of the Strasbourg Union. More than 100 countries use the IPC for document classification, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization. The International Patent Classification is a hierarchical catalog of patent documents by areas of technology.
The eight sections aligned with general fields of technology include Human Necessities, Performing Operations and Transporting, Chemistry and Metallurgy, Textiles and Paper, Fixed Constructions, Mechanical Engineering, Physics and Electricity.
The procedure for granting international patent and the rights by the patent office varies widely based on national laws and international agreements. However, in general, the patent office accepts the patent application which includes all claims defining the invention which must be new, inventive and industrially applicable.
The attorneys are knowledgeable about previous inventions that have been patented along with all legalities connected with the issue. They are also aware of the charges of acquiring a patent.
The lawyer is well informed about the current inventions and thoroughly networks with the design department and corporate attorneys so that the international patent office can function smoothly in connection with the patent search process, application drafting and filing. Filing a patent application for the product requires a filing fee.
