Legal Definitions - international application

An international application is a request for a patent filed by an inventor with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It is also known as a patent application. The application includes a specification, drawings, filing fee, and an oath or declaration. The application must end with at least one claim.

Examples of international applications include:

• Convention application: A patent application filed in accordance with an international patent treaty such as the Paris Convention or the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
• International application designating the United States: An international-patent application that is filed in accordance with the Patent Cooperation Treaty and specifically seeks patent protection in the United States.
• International application originating in the United States: An international-patent application that is filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in accordance with the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

These examples illustrate how an international application can be filed in different ways and seek patent protection in different countries.