A question regularly asked is whether there is a worldwide patent. No, there is no patent that is automatically valid around the world. A patent is granted country by country and is valid only in the country in which it is granted.

Some international/regional systems do exist that can facilitate the process of patent protection in multiple countries. An international PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) patent application is an example of this, where you can initially apply for a patent for all participating countries, which there are currently 157. However, at the end of the PCT procedure, you still have to make a choice in which countries you eventually want to get a granted patent. So an international PCT patent application does not offer a worldwide patent, but it simplifies the application process and gives you more time to decide in which specific countries you ultimately want to obtain a patent.

We are happy to assist you with all your intellectual property questions. Custos IPC is active in the Netherlands and has partners worldwide with whom we work. What we do for various clients can be read on our services page. Through our contact page find out all the relevant details to contact us.