It must contain a request, a description, one or more claims, one or more drawings (where required) and an abstract; it must comply with the prescribed physical requirements; it must be in one of the prescribed languages; finally, the required fees must be paid. These requirements will be dealt with one by one. The request may also be presented as a computer printout as prescribed by Section 102(h) of the Administrative Instructions or, alternatively, as a computer printout prepared using the PCT-SAFE (PCT-EASY) software, in which case it must be accompanied by a computer diskette containing a copy in electronic form of the data contained in the request and of the abstract.  It must further contain the title of the invention, the necessary data concerning the applicant, the inventor and the agent representing the applicant. It must be signed by the applicant or his agent. Where there are two or more applicants, each applicant must sign at his choice either the request or, if the request is signed by an agent, a separate power of attorney. The request may contain some optional indications, in particular a priority claim according to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.

Priority

Only one certified copy is required of each priority of the application and to be furnished within 6 months from the filing date; no copies for each designated Office are needed. The copies for the designated Offices are prepared—at no additional cost to the applicant—by the International Bureau.  Transmittal of the priority document need not be monitored if a request for transmittal by the Receiving Office to the International Bureau of an application filed with that Receiving Office was made in the Request Form and the applicable fee for a priority document was paid to the Receiving Office.

Description

The description of the invention in the International Application must disclose the invention in a manner sufficiently clear and complete for the invention. The description first repeats the title of the invention. It then specifies the technical field to which the invention relates. It indicates the so-called “background art,” that is, the technical and, in particular, patent literature, pertaining to that technical field, constituting the “prior art” or “state of the art” or known technology for the newly filed application. It discloses the intention in a way, which allows the technical problem and its solution to be understood. It states the advantageous effects of the invention as compared with the known technology. It briefly describes the figures in the drawings. It sets forth the best mode contemplated by the applicant for carrying out the invention and any other mode he wants to include. Finally, it indicates the way in which the invention is capable of exploitation in industry.

Sequence Listing

Section 806 of PCT allows a designated Office to require that a copy of a sequence listing part filed only on an electronic medium under new Section 801 be furnished, for the purposes of the national phase, on paper.

Claims:

The claims must define the subject matter of the invention for which protection is sought. They must be clear and concise and fully supported by the description.  With respect to the structure and drafting of claims, the PCT requirements are largely similar to what is accepted in most patent Offices.