Administrative Instructions under the Patent Cooperation Treaty

Section 712
Access to Electronic Records

Access permitted by the Treaty, the Regulations or these Administrative Instructions to documents contained in the file of an international application filed, processed or kept in electronic form may, at the option of the national Office or intergovernmental organization concerned, be provided by electronic means or in electronic form, having due regard to the need to ensure the integrity and where applicable confidentiality of data, the principles of electronic records management set out in Annex F, and the need to ensure security of the electronic networks, systems and applications of the Office or organization.