Timing of National Stage Commencement in the United States for Patent Cooperation Treaty Applications

摘要

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) is amending the regulations to include the current statutory provisions that define when national stage commencement occurs in an application filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The Office is making this change due to a possible change in the patent statute to provide that the time period for commencement of the national stage that is currently set forth by statute will be set forth in the regulations.