Legal Definitions - international filing date

The international filing date is the date on which a patent application is filed with the World Intellectual PropertyOrganization (WIPO) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). This date is important because it establishes the priority date for the invention, which is used to determine the novelty and non-obviousness of the invention.

For example, if an inventor files a PCT application on January 1, 2021, the international filing date would be January 1, 2021. This date would be used to determine the priority date for the invention, which would be important if the inventor later decides to file patent applications in other countries.

The international filing date is important because it establishes the priority date for the invention, which is used to determine the novelty and non-obviousness of the invention. This date is also used to calculate certain deadlines and fees associated with the PCT application process.