Administrative Instructions under the Patent Cooperation Treaty
Section 102
Use of the Forms
(a) Subject to paragraphs (b) to (k) and Section 103, the International Authorities shall use, or require the use of, the mandatory Forms specified below:
(i) Forms for use by the applicant:
PCT/RO/101 (request Form)
PCT/IPEA/401 (demand Form)
(ii) Forms for use by the receiving Offices:
PCT/RO/103 PCT/RO/112 PCT/RO/133 PCT/RO/154
PCT/RO/104 PCT/RO/113 PCT/RO/136 PCT/RO/155
PCT/RO/105 PCT/RO/114 PCT/RO/143 PCT/RO/156
PCT/RO/106 PCT/RO/115 PCT/RO/147 PCT/RO/157
PCT/RO/107 PCT/RO/117 PCT/RO/150 PCT/RO/158
PCT/RO/109 PCT/RO/118 PCT/RO/151 PCT/RO/159
PCT/RO/110 PCT/RO/123 PCT/RO/152
PCT/RO/111 PCT/RO/126 PCT/RO/153
(iii) Forms for use by the International Searching Authorities:
PCT/ISA/201 PCT/ISA/209 PCT/ISA/219 PCT/ISA/236
PCT/ISA/202 PCT/ISA/210 PCT/ISA/220 PCT/ISA/237
PCT/ISA/203 PCT/ISA/212 PCT/ISA/225
PCT/ISA/205 PCT/ISA/217 PCT/ISA/234
PCT/ISA/206 PCT/ISA/218 PCT/ISA/235
PCT/SISA/501 PCT/SISA/503 PCT/SISA/505 PCT/SISA/507
PCT/SISA/502 PCT/SISA/504 PCT/SISA/506 PCT/SISA/510
(iv) Forms for use by the International Bureau:
PCT/IB/301 PCT/IB/319 PCT/IB/345 PCT/IB/369
PCT/IB/304 PCT/IB/320 PCT/IB/346 PCT/IB/370
PCT/IB/305 PCT/IB/321 PCT/IB/349 PCT/IB/371
PCT/IB/306 PCT/IB/323 PCT/IB/350 PCT/IB/373
PCT/IB/307 PCT/IB/325 PCT/IB/351 PCT/IB/374
PCT/IB/308 PCT/IB/326 PCT/IB/353 PCT/IB/376
PCT/IB/310 PCT/IB/331 PCT/IB/354 PCT/IB/377
PCT/IB/311 PCT/IB/332 PCT/IB/356 PCT/IB/378
PCT/IB/313 PCT/IB/335 PCT/IB/357 PCT/IB/379
PCT/IB/314 PCT/IB/336 PCT/IB/358 PCT/IB/399
PCT/IB/315 PCT/IB/337 PCT/IB/360
PCT/IB/316 PCT/IB/338 PCT/IB/366
PCT/IB/317 PCT/IB/339 PCT/IB/367
PCT/IB/318 PCT/IB/344 PCT/IB/368
(v) Forms for use by the International Preliminary Examining Authorities:
PCT/IPEA/402 PCT/IPEA/412 PCT/IPEA/431 PCT/IPEA/444
PCT/IPEA/404 PCT/IPEA/414 PCT/IPEA/436
PCT/IPEA/405 PCT/IPEA/415 PCT/IPEA/440
PCT/IPEA/407 PCT/IPEA/416 PCT/IPEA/441
PCT/IPEA/408 PCT/IPEA/420 PCT/IPEA/442
PCT/IPEA/409 PCT/IPEA/425 PCT/IPEA/443
(b) Slight variations in layout necessary in view of the printing of the Forms referred to in paragraph (a) in various languages are permitted.
(c) Slight variations in layout in the Forms referred to in paragraph (a)(ii) to (v) are permitted to the extent necessary to meet the particular office requirements of the International Authorities, in particular in view of the production of the Forms by computer or of the use of window envelopes.
(d) Where the receiving Office, the International Searching Authority and/or the International Preliminary Examining Authority are each part of the same Office, the obligation to use the Forms referred to in paragraph (a) does not extend to communications within that same Office.
(e) The annexes to Forms PCT/RO/106, PCT/RO/118, PCT/ISA/201, PCT/ISA/205, PCT/ISA/206, PCT/ISA/210, PCT/ISA/219, PCT/IB/313, PCT/IB/336, PCT/IPEA/404, PCT/IPEA/405 and PCT/IPEA/415 may be omitted in cases where they are not used.
(f) The notes attached to Forms PCT/RO/101 (request Form), PCT/IB/375 (supplementary search request Form) and PCT/IPEA/401 (demand Form) shall be distributed by the International Authorities concerned together with the printed versions of those Forms. The notes attached to Form PCT/ISA/220 shall accompany the Form when sent to the applicant.
(g) The use of Forms other than those referred to in paragraph (a) is optional.
(h) Where the request or the demand is presented as a computer print-out, such print-out shall be prepared as follows:
(i) subject to subparagraph (ix), the layout and contents of the request and the demand when presented as computer print-outs shall correspond to the format of Forms PCT/RO/101 (request Form) and PCT/IPEA/401 (demand Form) ("the printed Forms"), with the same information being presented on the corresponding pages;
(ii) all boxes shall be drawn by solid lines; double lines may be presented as single lines;
(iii) the box numbers and box titles shall be included even where no information is supplied therein;
(iv) the boxes for use by the International Authorities shall be at least as large as those on the printed Forms;
(v) all other boxes shall be within one cm in size of those on the printed Forms;
(vi) all text shall be 9 points or larger in size;
(vii) titles and other information shall be clearly distinguished;
(viii) explanatory notes presented in italics on the printed Forms may be omitted;
(ix) the request and the demand when presented as computer print-outs may contain additional or alternative details concerning the means of communication with the applicant.
(i) Other formats permitted for the presentation of the request and the demand as computer print-outs may be determined by the Director General. Any such format shall be published in the Gazette.
(j) The page-based layout of a Form generated from a character-coded format shall be permitted if it is generated using a stylesheet provided by the International Bureau.2
(k) A Form may be transmitted by one Office, International Authority or the International Bureau to another in character-coded format only, without its page‑based layout, if the recipient Office, Authority or Bureau has agreed to receive the information in such format and has agreed to generate any page‑based layout which may be required for the recipient Office's file records.