Warning About Requests for Payment of Fees

New invitation

Further to the many warnings that have been published in the PCT Newsletter about invitations to PCT applicants and agents to pay fees that do not come from the International Bureau of WIPO (IB) and are unrelated to the processing of international applications under the PCT, a new invitation has been identified originating from "EPTP - European Patent & Trademark Protection". To view an example of the invitation, as well as the many other examples that have been brought to the attention of WIPO by PCT users, and for further information on such requests in general, please refer to:

/pct/en/warning/pct_warning.html

PCT applicants and agents should note that it is the IB alone which publishes all PCT applications promptly after the expiration of 18 months from the priority date (PCT Article 21(2)(a)); there is no separate fee for such international publication, and the legal effects of international publication are set out in PCT Article 29.

If they have not already done so, PCT applicants and agents are advised to share this information with the persons responsible for handling payments of fees within their organizations, as well as to the attention of inventors who might also receive such requests. In case of doubt in relation to any such invitation, please do not hesitate to contact the IB at:

Telephone: (+41-22) 338 83 38

Fax: (+41-22) 338 83 39

E-mail: pct.legal@wipo.int

We also encourage PCT applicants, agents or inventors (PCT users) to take action with their governments or consumer protection associations. A suggested text for making complaints and a list of "Government authorities/consumer protection associations receiving complaints" are available at the above-mentioned web page.