The International Patent System

ePCT Portal

PCT Workshop, March, 2018

Peter Waring PCT International Cooperation Division

ePCT News

■ User Interface updated for 2018 available:■ePCT File view■ePCT Filing■ePCT Document routing

■ ePCT-Filing now available to 55 receiving Offices (63 total PCT e-filing ROs) (latest additions March 1, 2018 HR, RS)

PCT Filing

PCT timeliness (2016)

PCT timeliness

PCT timeliness (2016)

Agenda

■News

■ePCT Overview

■The big picture

■Who uses ePCT

■Why use ePCT

■How to get access

■ePCT Demonstration

ePCT – Overview

■Getting started http://pct.wipo.int/ePCT

■ Viewing Applications■eOwnership of PCT applications■eHandshakes and sharing of access rights■Viewing data and documents

■ Filing applications

■ Submitting post-filing documents

■ Creating an account

What is ePCT?

■Online portal that provides PCT services for both applicants and Offices

■ Available since May 2011 (10 languages since May 2015)

■ Provides secure and direct interaction with PCT applications maintained by the International Bureau

■ ePCT-Filing - Web-based filing of PCT applications (since October 2013)

ePCT-Filing to RO/IN since November 14, 2014

■ Applicants can conduct many PCT transactions electronically using ePCT

ePCT big picture

RO Officer

Applicant / Agent

PCT InternationalApplications

Accessed in

ePCT Portal

Offices have varied requirements and

configurations

IB/ISA Officer

View

ActionCreate / File

View

New IAProcessTransmit

View Process

Published IAs forNational Phase entry

Patentscope

ePCT portal usage

■ ePCT Applicant Portal Secure access to PCT files, including before publication Controlled access to PCT services and functions (view

file, bibliographic data, upload, guided actions, timeline) Notifications Access to ePCT Filing Post filing documents

■ ePCT Office Portal Access to files by Offices (RO/ISA/IPEA/DO) Office processing / actions / forms / report drafting Notifications

Who uses ePCT?■ 20,000+ public users worldwide

■ 55 receiving Offices have enabled ePCT Filing■42 hosted at IB (including RO/IN)■9 with their own server■4 in download mode

■ 64 Offices (RO/ISA/IPEA) use ePCT routing■Offices have instant access to applicant

transactionsRO/IN ISA/IN IPEA/IN receive routed documents

Why use ePCT?

■ Secure access to applications filed by you or filed by partners / branches in other countries / regions

■view and check file documents / PCT publication

■ view and check biblio data / timeline / actions

■ File applications

■E-Filing discount 200 CHF

■DocX additional discount +100 CHF (=300CHF)

■ Secure upload of post filing documents

■To the RO / IB /ISAs (AT AU CN EP IN SE US)

Why use ePCT ?■ Better quality applications

■request form and contents validation

■ less scanned documents in the system

■ Reduced defects / replacement sheets■more likely application is correct

■better image quality

■access to colour

■notifications / reminders

■ Faxing documents is unreliable / email is unsecure■secure transmission in ePCT

■direct to IB or other Offices

Accessing the ePCT Applicant Portal

■ ePCT Portal: http://pct.wipo.int/

■ Create a WIPO User Account using the WIPO Accounts service: https://pct.wipo.int/wipoaccounts/en/ePCT/public/register.xhtmlhttps://pct.wipo.int/wipoaccounts/ru/ePCT/public/register.xhtml

■ Strong authentication using both a WIPO User Account (username + password) and a secondary authentication method Digital certificate One-Time Password via SMS, using a mobile phone One-Time Password (OTP) using an Authenticator App

Types of Access Rights■ eOwnerComplete control over all aspects of the PCT

application■ eEditorCan do everything except assign access rights

■ eViewer“Look” but don’t “Touch”

■ Full history of all access rights modifications is available■ Assignment of access rights for multiple applications ■ Access rights automatically assigned to default list of

eHandshake users

Workbench■ List of all PCT applications to which you have access

(eOwner, eEditor, eViewer)

■ The Workbench contains a number of columns

IA Number

IA Status

File Ref

[...]

■ Various filter options available

■ Clicking to open PCT applications will open up a detailed File View

File View■ Access to the PCT file maintained by the International

Bureau (documents plus up-to-date bibliographic data)

■ Front-page preview

■My Comments (visible only to the current ePCT user)

■Warning (viewable to all users who have access rights)

■ Information about the target date for international publication

■ Indications about the public availability of each document type

■ Direct link to the PCT application in PATENTSCOPE (as of the publication date)

Bibliographic Data

■ Up-to-date bibliographic data for the PCT application being viewed

■ Preview of bibliographic data in publication front page layout

■ Download of bibliographic data in PDF format

■Where the language of filing of an international application is Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Russian, bibliographic data is now available in those languages in addition to the English transliteration

Time line

■ Summary of key dates – help on what to do when

■ E-mail alerts for most of these time limits can be set up in notification preferences

ePCT-Filing

■Web-based filing of PCT applications filed in any language

■ Real-time validation of data against the electronic processing system of the International Bureau

■ Available to all PCT applicants

■ For filings with RO/IB and many other receiving Offices

■ Request form can be prepared in all PCT languages (except for Arabic which will be added in the future)

■ Specification in PDF format or XML/DOCX

■ Automatic eOwnership

■AVAILABLE TO RO/IN NOW

ePCT-Filing - why

■ International filing fee discount for using electronic filing

■ Additional discount for filing using DOCX (English only)(must be PDF for Slovenian language)

■ Automatic post filing access to application

■ Better processing – better quality PCT publication

■AVAILABLE TO RO/IN NOW

Actions (1)

■ “Actions” can only be submitted to the International Bureau (currently)

■ Users benefit from pre-filled bibliographic data and automated validation to avoid errors

Upload / Route Documents■ Documents (PDF) can be uploaded for all PCT applications that are available in

the electronic processing system of the International Bureau

■ Simple, secure alternative to sending documents by mail or fax

■ Types of document selectable for upload depend on the recipient selected

…etc…

or RO/ISA/IPEA

ContextSensitiveChoice

Create an account

Strong Authentication

■We recommend that you set up at least two strong authentication methods for your WIPO account.

■ Sign in to ePCT using your Username + Password and click on the ‘My Account’ link on the 'Sign-in with strong authentication' screen (see below) in order to access your account profile and set up your authentication

■ APP FOR ONE-TIME PASSWORD

■ TEXT MESSAGE (SMS) WITH ONE-TIME PASSWORD

■ DIGITAL CERTIFICATE

Upcoming changes■ ePCT is updated 2-3 times each year

■The next release is in April

■Improvements of existing features

■Growing Office-Office connections

■eSearchCopy

■ePCT Routing of SFDs

■Integrated RO/ISA processing

■ Reduction in the usage of Fax transmission

ePCT-Filing – DAS - enabled■ The Indian Patent Office commenced operation with

effect from 31 January 2018 as both a depositing and an accessing Office of DAS.

■ If requested by the applicant, as a depositing Office, it will deposit certified copies of patent and industrial design applications as priority documents in DAS, including PCT applications filed at the Office on or after 31 January 2018.

■ As an accessing Office, it will recognize priority documents available to it through DAS for the purposes of any application for which the time limit for furnishing the priority document has not expired by 31 January 2018.

Need help with ePCT (1)

Webinars on ePCT

http://www.wipo.int/pct/en/seminar/webinars/index.html

ePCT user guide

http://www.wipo.int/pct/en/epct/pdf/pct_wipo_accounts_user_guide.pdf

Need help with ePCT (2)

Use the “CONTACT US” link in the ePCT header

PCT eServices

Tel: +41-22-338-9523

E-mail: pct.eservices@wipo.int

Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm Geneva time

FAQs

Database of help info

On-line Chat (during working hours) available via the FAQ answers