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.