Strategies for the International Patent Protection of an Invention

2005-01-01

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STRATEGIESFORTHEINTERNATIONALPATENTPROTECTIONOFANINVENTION

IsabelleGirard*
LEGERROBICRICHARD
,L.L.P.
Lawyers,PatentandTrademarkAgents
CentreCDPCapital
1001Square-Victoria–BlocE–8thFloor
Montreal,Quebec,CanadaH2Z2B7
Tel.(514)9876242–Fax(514)8457874
www.robic.ca–info@robic.com

Withtheglobalisationofmarkets,evensmallandmediumsizecompanies
nowhavetheopportunitytocommercializetheirproductstoclientsallover
theworld.Largescalepatentprotectionofinnovations,however,involves
significantfees,whichoftenforcecompaniestoabandontheirpropertyrights
inpromisingmarkets.Thiscanbeavoidedbytakingfulladvantageofthe
possibilitiesofferedbythepatentsystemandinternationaltreatieson
intellectualproperty.
Apatentconferstoitsholdertheexclusiverighttomake,sellandusethe
protectedinvention.Withalimitedbudget,itisessentialtocarefullychoose
theterritorieswherepatentprotectionistobesought.Inpractice,themost
crucialfactortoconsideristheimportanceofthemarketforthesaleofthe
productthatistobepatentedinagivencountry.Itmayalsoprove
advantageoustoconsiderterritorieswherestrategicpartnersoperate,who
couldbeimplicatedinthecommercializationanddistributionoftheproduct.
Asapatentisessentiallyadefensivetool,onestrategytobeconsideredis
protectioninterritorieswherecompetitorshaveinstallationsformanufacturing
similarproducts;inthismanner,apatentinasinglecountrycouldprevent,at
thesource,thecommercializationofthepatentedinnovationbythese
competitors.
Choosingtheterritoriesinwhichtoprotectbypatentisanundertakingthatis
importantyetdifficulttomakeearlyintheprocessofmarketingaproduct.It
ishoweveratthisparticularmoment,beforepublicdisclosureandsaleofthe
productevenoccurs,thatpatentapplicationsmustbefiledineachrelevant
territorysoastoreserverightstotheinvention.Howdoesonereconcilethese
seeminglycontradictoryrequirements?Twointernationaltreatiescanbe

©CIPS,2005.*OfLEGERROBICRICHARD,L.L.P.,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentand
trademarkagents.PublishedintheWinter2005issue(Vol.9,No.1)issueofourNewsletter.
Publication068.065E.

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judiciouslyusedtothisend:theParisConvention,andthePatent
CooperationTreaty(PCT).
AccordingtotheParisConvention,towhich169countriescurrentlyadhere,
filingapatentapplicationinoneofthemembercountriesgivestheApplicant
a“priorityright”,underwhichpatentapplicationsforthesameinventioncan
befiledinanyothermembercountrywithintwelvemonths,withoutlossof
rights.Inotherwords,subsequentapplicationsfiledunderprioritywillbenefit
fromthesameadvantagesasiftheyhadbeenfiledatthesametimeasthe
firstapplication.Capitalizingonthisyearofprioritycanbeparticularly
advantageouswherethefirstfiledapplicationisaUnitedStatesprovisional
application,oraCanadianinformalapplication;inbothcases,suchan
applicationcanbepreparedatalessercost,aslongasitdescribesallthe
elementsoftheinventiontobeprotectedanditisreplacedwithintwelve
monthsbycompleteapplications.
ThePCT,towhichmorethanonehundredcountriesaresignatories,enables
asinglepatentapplicationtobefiledwhilereservingtherightstothe
inventioninallthemembercountries.Individualapplicationsmust
neverthelesseventuallybefiledinalltheterritorieswhereprotectionissought,
butthedeadlineforthesefilingsisextendedtothirtymonthsfromthepriority
date;thustheApplicantbenefitsfromatwoandahalfyearperiodafterthe
firstfilingtoevaluatethemarketandestablishanappropriateinternational
protectionstrategy.Moreover,theinternationalphaseofthePCTincludesa
priorartsearchandanexaminationoftheapplicationbyapatentExaminer,
whichcangiveanindicationastothechancesofobtainingpatentsforthe
inventionandastothepotentialscopeoftheeventualprotection.
Anadvantageousstrategyforkeepingallpossibledoorsopenforamaximum
timeperiodwhileminimizinginitialcostsistheinitialfilingofaprovisionalor
informalpatentapplication,followedwithintwelvemonthsbythefilingofa
PCTpatentapplication.TakingthepathofthePCTinternationalphase
neverthelesshasthedisadvantageofdelayingtheissuanceofcorresponding
patentsbymanymonths.Anattractivealternativecouldbetofilepatent
applications,inparallelwiththePCTpath,directlyinthecountriesforwhich
oneiscertaintowanttoobtainquickprotection.Thisisoftenthecasewith
theUnitedStates,forexample.Itisequallyimportant,beforeexpiryofthe
priorityyear,tomakesurethatothercountriesconsideredforprotectionare
indeedmembersofthePCT;ifnot,patentapplicationsmustbefiledthere
directlywithintwelvemonthsfollowingthefirstfiling.
Inconclusion,despitesignificantfeesassociatedwithobtainingpatents
internationally,informedentrepreneurscantakeadvantageofthedelays

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providedbyinternationalpatenttreatiesandestablishaprofitableprotection
strategyleadingtoamaximumreturnontheirinvestment.

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