What is a PCT search?

It is an International Search process by which a company can seek a second opinion from a foreign Patent Office as to the patentability of its invention. Companies typically file the PCT search request concurrently with a U.S. patent application, and use the U.S. disclosure as the basis for the International Search. After the process is completed, approximately 22-24 months later, a company can decide then whether its invention is profitable enough to warrant filing foreign patent applications.

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