Obtaining an international patent involves several steps and can be a complex process. Here's a general overview:

Procedure for Obtaining an International Patent:

1. Initial Assessment:

Before embarking on the international patent journey, inventors must conduct thorough research to ensure their invention meets the criteria for patentability.

This involves assessing whether the invention is novel, involves an inventive step, and is industrially applicable, as per the requirements of the respective patent offices.

2.Filing the PCT Application:

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) provides a streamlined process for seeking patent protection in multiple countries.

Inventors file a single international patent application under the PCT, typically through their national or regional patent office.

The application includes a description of the invention, claims defining the scope of protection sought, and any necessary drawings or diagrams.

3.International Search and Preliminary Examination:

Upon receiving the PCT application, an international search is conducted by a designated International Searching Authority (ISA).

The ISA identifies prior art relevant to the invention, helping the inventor assess the novelty and inventiveness of their invention.

Optionally, inventors can request a preliminary examination, which provides a non-binding opinion on the patentability of the invention.

4.Publication and International Publication:

The PCT application is typically published 18 months after the priority date, making the invention's details available to the public.

International publication occurs shortly after filing the PCT application, further disseminating information about the invention.

5.National Phase Entry:

Within 30 months of the priority date, inventors must decide in which countries or regions they wish to pursue patent protection.

They enter the national phase by filing corresponding national or regional patent applications in the chosen jurisdictions.

Each national or regional patent office examines the application according to its own laws and regulations.

Obtaining an international patent involves several steps and typically follows the process outlined by the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), which is an international agreement that simplifies the process of filing patent applications in multiple countries. Here's a general overview of the procedure:

Keep in mind that the process may vary slightly depending on the specific requirements of each country's patent system. It's also advisable to seek guidance from a patent attorney or agent who is familiar with international patent law to navigate the process effectively.

After many years of active practice in patent application filing, prosecution and defense, I have determined that very few of the many applicants who were coming to me had invented something worth their time and effort, not to mention money, to file an application. I came to this conclusion when I worked for some time on ways to defeat patents, at the request of several clients. Large corporations hire teams to defeat patents of their competitors, and have massive funding to commit to the effort. It was then that I realized that the real time, effort and expense came into view, not during application and prosecution, but AFTER award, and in defense of one's patent rights. Of the many applications from clients that I reviewed and chose not to prosecute because they failed basic requirements of usefulness, uniqueness, and value to science, industry or the public, the few that I deemed worthwhile were inventions from individuals, and not large companies. And this is precisely where the problems begin. Individuals are not usually gifted with large, if not seemingly infinite, funding to defend their rights under the patent they may be awarded; whereas, large companies that generate more patents that I view less worthy of recognition and award are the very ones with immense funding supporting their ideas and, hence, the defense of those ideas.

The better approach to defending one's invention(s) is protecting them as trade secrets. I can address this further at anyone's request.