Many applicants use the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system as a first step to obtain patent protection for their inventions in a large number of countries. This practice-oriented book on the PCT – the only such book available – provides expert guidance on how to carry out the treaty's procedures, from filing a single international patent application to starting prosecution before a plurality of national Offices.

Building from an authoritative overview of the PCT's sources and how they link to form the legal basis for a complete procedure, the contributors elucidate such invaluable practical details as the following:

The authors include legal experts from WIPO and the European Patent Office (EPO), as well as well-known patent law practitioners.

With its wealth of guidance ranging from a broad introduction to specific details of procedural strategy, this book will be of immeasurable value in the day-to-day practice of patent attorneys, corporate counsel, and paralegals worldwide. It will be of great use to candidates preparing for exams where a profound knowledge of the PCT is required.