Knowledge hub

Publications, events and frequently asked questions

 

Welcome to the knowledge hub of the Visegrad Patent Institute where we share information on events, publications and other useful information in the form of frequently asked questions in respect of the VPI.

Publications

 

Read about industry trends, statistics and best practices. Find here our research, case studies and other publications that will provide you insight into the best practices of international patenting in the CEE region.

Case studies

Creating an IP oriented business culture – Case study of GA Drilling Slovakia, an R&D SME that understands the value of IP and developed a systematic approach to protect it.

International patenting from the university perspective – Technology transfer best practices from the Jagiellonian University, Krakow, one of the oldest universities in the world.

Pros and cons of a PCT application – Considerations of filing or not filing a PCT application from Tescan Brno, a progressively developing innovative Czech R&D enterprise.

Benefits of the PCT route for pharmaceutical corporations – Learn how to cut the workload and increase the success rate of patent filing from the story of Egis, one of the leading pharmaceutical corporations in the CEE region.

The case studies were funded by the Hungarian National Research Development and Innovation Office.

Annual reports

Download the annual report of the VPI for 2023 with facts and figures for 2019-2023.

Download the annual report of the VPI for 2022 with facts and figures for 2018-2022.

Download the annual report of the VPI for 2021 with facts and figures for 2016-2021.

Events

Find information about our past and future events.

Technology Transfer ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION

The Visegrad Patent Institute, in cooperation with the International Visegrad Fund and the ASTP, the premier association of knowledge transfer professionals in Europe, is organizing an online round table event on 22 November 2022.

Please, follow our Linked-in page to be posted about the details.

Download the program of the event.

Celebratory 5th anniversary conference of the VPI

VPI held an online conference to celebrate the 5th anniversary of starting operation on the 7th July, 2021. Speakers came from industry players, V4 patent offices that use the services of the VPI and technology transfer offices to share their experiences with the VPI and the best practices of filing PCT applications in the V4 region.

Summary of the Celebratory 5th Anniversary Conference.

Download the program of the event to see further details and watch the video recording of the presentations on the VPI Youtube channel.

FAQ

 

Get immediate answers to the most frequent questions.

What is the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and what are its benefits?

The biggest advantage of the PCT is that a priority date can be secured with a single application (international patent application) in all PCT contracting states, giving the applicant time to select the countries/regions where the patent protection will be obtained eventually. Important commercial and financial decisions have to be made when selecting these territories, as the future market for the patented products depends on several factors which may not be clear at an early stage of the application.
Another major advantage of the PCT is that the international search obtained during the international phase, together with the associated written opinion and preliminary examination report, make it possible to improve the application before entering the national/regional phase.
The PCT ensures uniform formal and procedural requirements for international patent applications as well as centralised publication. The international patent application can be made in one language, in a cost-effective and relatively simple way.

Can I obtain patent protection with an international patent application via the PCT route?

International patent protection cannot be obtained directly through an international patent application. In the specific countries/regions where patent protection is sought, the national/regional phase for the international patent application must be entered separately and the fees must be paid according to the applicable fees table. The competent national/regional authorities will then proceed with the patent granting procedure in accordance with national/regional law.
More information about country/regional legislation is available on the WIPO website (https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/guide/index.html) by clicking on the sidebar in the “National Chapter” column of the table.

Where can the international patent application be filed?

The international patent application can be filed with the national patent offices that; also act as receiving offices; or directly with the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO IB). The Visegrad Patent Institute (VPI) must be designated in the application to make the VPI the international searching authority and, if required, the international preliminary examination authority. This can be done by indicating ISA/XV in Box No. VII of the application (Form PCT/RO/101).

What are the benefits of choosing the VPI as an international searching authority?

The international application can be done in your national language, and every piece of important information can be obtained in this language.
The search report of the earlier national application related to the international patent application can be taken into account by the VPI upon request; in which case 40% of the international search fee will be refunded. To this end, the national patent or utility model application on which the priority is based, must be indicated in the request; and related search report must be requested to be taken into account at the same time under Box No. VII 1.1 (Form PCT/RO/101). For further important details, please, refer to the Documents page.

What should the international patent application contain?

As a minimum, the international patent application must contain the completed application request (Form PCT/RO/101), the specification, the claim(s), the abstract, if necessary, and drawing(s), to recognise the filing date.

In which language can the international application be filed?

You can file an international patent application at the VPI in the following five languages: Czech, English, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak.

If the application was made in a national language, will an English translation be needed later?

Yes, if the language of the application and description was not in English, the translation for publication of the application must be filed with the receiving Office within 14 months from the earliest priority date of the application.

Do I have to submit the necessary documents anywhere besides the national office?

The central administration of the PCT system is carried out by the WIPO International Bureau (IB) in Geneva, so the necessary documents should always be sent to them, too. The easiest is to send them through the system of ePCT, but documents can be sent via the national offices that also act as receiving offices. If the applicant so requests, the national office receiving the application will prepare the priority document and send it to the WIPO IB for a fee. This request must be indicated in the request form (Form PCT/RO/101) in Box No. VI, under the heading “Furnishing priority documents”.

Is there a filling guide for the international application?

Yes, a guide to fill the application form and a sample form (in English) are available at https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/forms/. Further useful information can be found on the About the PCT page.

Where can I get the latest information about the fees?

Up-to-date information on the fees is available on the WIPO website at the following link: https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/fees/

Who sets the international patent application fees?

The transmittal fee is set by the respective contracting state. The search fee is set by the respective international searching authority. The international filing fee is set by IB WIPO.

What fees have to be paid when filing an international application?

The following fees are payable at the time of applying:
– international filing fee,
– handling fee , and
– search fee.
You can find more information about the exact procedure for paying the fees and the current rates in the downloadable List of fees on the About the PCT page, and on the WIPO website (https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/guide/index.html) by clicking on the sidebar in the “Receiving Office” column of the table.

When do the fees have to be paid?

Fees are due when the international patent application is filed, but may be paid within one month of filing the international patent application at the latest.

Where do I have to pay the fees?

The international patent application fee and the international search fee must always be paid at the receiving Office. Please, refer to the Contact us page for the contact information of the VPI receiving offices. More information on the WIPO website (https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/guide/index.html) by clicking on the sidebar in the “Receiving Office” column of the table.

What discounts are available on the fees and during the procedure?

If the applicant is the inventor (and is a national or a resident in the VPI Member state), only 10% of the international application fee is payable.
A refund of 40% of the international search fee is available at the VPI if an earlier search can be taken into account during the international search. For more information, refer to the “What are the benefits of choosing the VPI as international searching authority” question.

How can I request a refund?

If the search report from your national application is available for your international patent application, you can request this search report to be taken into account in the Request Box No. VII. 1.1 when completing the application (Form PCT/RO/101). It has to be indicated which earlier application’s search is requested to be taken into account and whether or not you request the transmitting office to transmit the earlier search results to the VPI. If the international application was based on a previous national application, the VPI already has this information at hand.
Upon completing the search, the VPI will send a notification on the refund to the applicant together with the international search report and the written opinion, using form PCT/ISA/213. The refund has to be requested by submitting a completed Search Fee Refund Form to the VPI within 6 months from the receipt of form PCT/ISA/213. For further information and to download the form, please refer to the Documents page.

Can I request assistance with submitting the international patent application?

There is no direct PCT filing service at the VPI. For general information on completing the application and answers to further questions, please, contact your national patent office directly. For their contact information, please refer to the Contact us page.
For legal or industrial property advice and to hire a legal representative, contact the professional representatives registered with your national patent attorney or bar association.

Where can I find more information about the PCT?

More information about the PCT system can be found on the WIPO website: https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/ or on the About the PCT page.

ABOUT THE PCT

 

The PCT is an international treaty that makes it possible to seek patent protection simultaneously in a large number of countries by filing a single application. Granting the patent remains under the national or regional legislation.

Fees and Refunds

 

Download the Search Fee Refund Form from this page and find detailed instructions on how to submit it for quick payment. Read about our quality assurance and the legal framework of the operation of the VPI in our official documents.

Knowledge hub

 

The Knowledge hub of the Visegrad Patent Institute was created to share research, statistics, industrial best practice and benchmark information about international patenting in the Visegrad countries through publications and events.