How do you Foreign File your patent application?

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How do you Foreign File your patent application? Video Transcript

I am going to talk about how one goes about with foreign filing. Foreign filing is a complicated procedure, but basically within one year of either the provisional application or the US full utility application, whichever is earlier - so it is called the earliest priority date - one has to file a Patent Cooperation Treaty International Patent Application. From there, there is an additional 18 months to enter the national phase in any of the countries that you wish to individually protect the invention in. That national phase process can be very involved as well, because you might need to hire attorneys in each one of those countries to help prosecute the application through those countries. Future additions of Patent Express will hopefully simplify the process by allowing reminders to be sent and applications to comply with the PCT. But for now, the patent foreign filing process is pretty complex. You have to comply with the various rules of various countries and be very strict about adherence to timelines. So if you are thinking about foreign filing a case, it is best to consult with an attorney to do that.

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