Patent nationalization
Entering the national phase from a PCT application by filing it in each country or region where patent protection is wanted.
Patent nationalization — usually called national phase entry — is the step where the applicant takes a PCT application into individual patent offices for actual examination and grant. By default this must happen within 30 (or in some offices 31) months from the priority date. Each office then examines the application under its own substantive and procedural law.
Nationalization is not automatic: the applicant must actively decide which countries are worth the cost, prepare any required translations, appoint local representatives, and pay national fees. Countries that are not entered before the deadline are lost.
Typical inputs to the decision:
• Where products are or will be sold and manufactured.
• Where key competitors are based.
• The strength of the international search opinion.
• The available IP budget.