PCT Today: History, Status and Projected Growth

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PCT TodayHistory, Status and Projected Growth
FICPI/AIPLA Colloquium on Reform of the Patent
Cooperation Treaty Where We Are and Where We Are
GoingNice, April 8, 2003
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Four Aspects to Look at
Historical overview Current status Future pro
jections
Some new - and not so new - directions
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1978

• June 1, 1978 the filing of the first PCT
  applications
  
• During that first year
• 459 applications received
• 19 applications published
• 10 staff members 18 Contracting States

Brazil MadagascarCameroon
MalawiCentral African Republic SenegalChad
Soviet Union Congo SwedenFrance Switzerland
Gabon TogoGerman (Federal Republic
of) United Kingdom
Luxembourg United States of
America
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2002

• 114,048 PCT applications received
• 144,570 publications and republications
• 518 staff members
• 118 Contracting States

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Contracting States (118 on 1 January 2003)
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Legal Texts

• Since 1970 the PCT has gone through
• Treaty 4 versions
• Regulations 24 versions
• Ongoing revision of

Administrative Instructions and about 200 PCT
FormsGuidelines for receiving Offices, for PCT
Search and ExaminationBilateral Agreements with
11 national or regional Offices
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Growth in PCT Filings
114,048 international applications received in
2002

Total 797,768
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PCT Filing by Five-year Periods(1978 - 2002)
449,973
Total 797,768
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Top 20 PCT Filers

• 1. PHILIPS ELECTRONICS (NL)
• 2. SIEMENS (DE)
• 3. BOSCH (DE)
• 4. ERICSSON (SE)
• 5. MATSUSHITA ELECTRONIC
• INDUSTRIAL (JP)
• 6. SONY (JP)
• 7. NOKIA (FI)
• 8. 3M (US)
• 9. BAYER (DE)
• 10. PROCTER GAMBLE (US)

• 11. BASF (DE)
• 12. INFINEON (DE)
• 13. MITSUBISHI (JP)
• 14. HONEYWELL (US)
• 15. INTEL (US)
• 16. MOTOROLA (US)
• 17. IBM (US)
• 18. QUALCOMM(US)
• 19. UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA (US)
• 20. SUN MICROSYSTEMS (US)

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Top 10 PCT Filers From Developing Countries

• 1. COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH
  (IN)
  
• 2. SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO. LTD. (KR)
• 3. BIOWINDOW GENE DEVELOPMENT INC. (CN)
• 4. LG ELECTONICS ING. (KR)
• 5. HUAEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. (CN)
• 6. RANBAXY LABORATORIES LIMITED (IN)
• 7. LG CHEM LTD. (KR)
• 8. SAE MAGNETICS (H.K.) LTD. (CN)
• 9. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE (SG)
• 10. PHILIPS ELECTRONICS SINGAPORE PTE LTD.
  (SG)
  

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PCT FeesBasic maximum designation fees
(including PCT-EASY reduction of CHF 200 since
1999)
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Average Fee Per Application
(15) (4) (9)
(9) (7)
Percentage decrease
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Projected PCT Applications
(7) (10) (10) (9) (6)
(6) (6)
Percentage increase
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Projected New Fee Structure Current Proposal For
a Flat International Fee
Combine Basic fee 650 Designation fees 700
Handling fee 233 Total
1,583 Reduce as much as e
conomically reasonable Result current
proposal for flat international
fee 1,530 Reduction of 3.3
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Impact of New Fee Structure
Conceptually Flat fee Basic fee unchanged H
andling fee unchanged 4.76 designations Aver
age designations US 4.99 JP 4.33 EP
4.82 Other 4.94 ------- Total 4.85
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Impact of New Fee Structure

• In comparison with handling fee
• previously discretionary (only payable with
  Ch.II demand)
  
• now moved forward and mandatory
• In general
• Minor impact US and EP
• More significant impact JP

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PCT Electronic Filing (PCT-SAFE)

• Background PCT-EASY software
• approx. 40 of all PCT applications filed
• 10,000 registered users
• fee reduction available for use
• PCT electronic filing project in 2001 PCT-SAFE
  (Secure Applications Filed Electronically) based
  on PCT-EASY and EPOline
  
• Promulgation of the PCT Administrative
  Instructions to enable PCT e-filing (Dec.
  2001)
  
• Agreed standards for the electronic filing and
  processing of PCT applications (Dec. 2001)
  
• Pilot began Nov. 2002
• E-filing at RO/IB before end 2003

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Strategic Management and Thinking

• Take the pulse of the PCT on a regular basis
• Identify means to anticipate problems
• Imagine solutions
• Define best practices, methodologies
• Identify trends and patterns and analyze them

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External Legal Relations

• Establish enhanced channels of communication and
  exchanges with Offices
  
• Provide legal advice to Contracting States and
  potential Contracting States
  
• Increase outreach to PCT users, user groups and
  potential users
  

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Legal Services

• Explore innovative ways to continue to provide
  quality information to PCT users
  
• Expand the information resources on the PCT
  website
  
• Provide legal advice on specific PCT cases
• Develop new PCT training tools and methods
• Continue to improve the quality and usability of
  PCT publications
  
• Focus on implementation of PCT Reform

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Operations

• Implement a new workflow structure
• Collaborate on the development and deployment of
  an office automation system (IMPACT) and PCT-SAFE
  electronic filing
  
• Prepare for the move to a new building
• Support the continued growth of the receiving
  Office of the International Bureau
  

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Thank you