Form PCT/IPEA/401

Status: Original and derived artifacts are available for this document.

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The demand must be filed directly with the competent International Preliminary Examining Authority or, if two or more Authorities are competent,
with the one chosen by the applicant. The full name or two-letter code of that Authority may be indicated by the applicant on the line below:

IPEA/

PCT

CHAPTER II

DEMAND
under Article 31 of the Patent Cooperation Treaty:
The undersigned requests that the international application specified below be the subject of
international preliminary examination according to the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
For International Preliminary Examining Authority use only
Identification of IPEA
Box No. I

Date of receipt of DEMAND

IDENTIFICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION

Applicant’s or agent’s file reference

International application No.

International filing date (day/month/year)

(Earliest) Priority date (day/month/year)

Title of invention

Box No. II

APPLICANT(S)

Name and address: (Family name followed by given name; for a legal entity, full official designation.
The address must include postal code and name of country.)

E-mail address*
Telephone No.
Facsimile No.

Applicant’s registration No. with the Office

* E-mail authorization: Indicating an e-mail address above authorizes the International Bureau and the International Preliminary
Examining Authority, if they provide such a service, to send notifications exclusively by e-mail to that address, unless the following
box is marked:
notifications are requested to be sent exclusively by postal mail.
State (that is, country) of nationality:

State (that is, country) of residence:

Name and address: (Family name followed by given name; for a legal entity, full official designation. The address must include postal code and name of country.)

State (that is, country) of nationality:

State (that is, country) of residence:

Further applicants are indicated on a continuation sheet.
Form PCT/IPEA/401 (first sheet) (July 2022)

See Notes to the demand form

Sheet No. . . .
Continuation of Box No. II

International application No.

APPLICANT(S)

If none of the following sub-boxes is used, this sheet should not be included in the demand.
Name and address: (Family name followed by given name; for a legal entity, full official designation. The address must include postal code and name of country.)

State (that is, country) of nationality:

State (that is, country) of residence:

Name and address: (Family name followed by given name; for a legal entity, full official designation. The address must include postal code and name of country.)

State (that is, country) of nationality:

State (that is, country) of residence:

Name and address: (Family name followed by given name; for a legal entity, full official designation. The address must include postal code and name of country.)

State (that is, country) of nationality:

State (that is, country) of residence:

Name and address: (Family name followed by given name; for a legal entity, full official designation. The address must include postal code and name of country.)

State (that is, country) of nationality:

State (that is, country) of residence:

Further applicants are indicated on another continuation sheet.
Form PCT/IPEA/401 (continuation sheet) (July 2022)

See Notes to the demand form

International application No.

Sheet No. . . .

Box No. III AGENT OR COMMON REPRESENTATIVE; OR ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE
The following person is
and

agent

common representative

has been appointed earlier and represents the applicant(s) also for international preliminary examination.
is hereby appointed and any earlier appointment of (an) agent(s)/common representative is hereby revoked.
is hereby appointed, specifically for the procedure before the International Preliminary Examining Authority, in addition to
the agent(s)/common representative appointed earlier.

Name and address: (Family name followed by given name; for a legal entity, full official designation. E-mail address*
The address must include postal code and name of country.)

Telephone No.
Facsimile No.

Agent’s registration No. with the Office

* E-mail authorization: Indicating an e-mail address above authorizes the International Bureau and the International Preliminary
Examining Authority, if they provide such a service, to send notifications exclusively by e-mail to that address, unless the following
box is marked:
notifications are requested to be sent exclusively by postal mail.
Address for correspondence: Mark this check-box where no agent or common representative is/has been appointed and the
space above is used instead to indicate a special address to which correspondence should be sent.
Box No. IV BASIS FOR INTERNATIONAL PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
Statement concerning amendments:*
1. The applicant wishes the international preliminary examination to start on the basis of:
the description

as originally filed, or
as amended under Article 34

the sequence listing
(if any)
the claims

as originally filed, or
as amended under Article 34
as originally filed, or
as amended under Article 19, and/or
as amended under Article 34

the drawings
(if any)

as originally filed, or
as amended under Article 34

2.
3.

The applicant wishes any amendment to the claims under Article 19 to be considered as reversed.
Where the IPEA wishes to start the international preliminary examination at the same time as the international search in
accordance with Rule 69.1(b), the applicant requests the IPEA to postpone the start of the international preliminary examination
until the expiration of the applicable time limit under Rule 69.1(d).
4.
The applicant expressly requests to postpone the start of the international preliminary examination until the expiration of the
applicable time limit under Rule 54bis.1(a).
* Where no check-box is marked, international preliminary examination will start on the basis of the international application as originally
filed or, where a copy of amendments to the claims under Article 19 and/or amendments of the international application under
Article 34 are received by the International Preliminary Examining Authority before it has begun to draw up a written opinion or the
international preliminary examination report, as so amended.
Language for the purposes of international preliminary examination:________________________________________________
which is the language in which the international application was filed.
which is the language of a translation furnished for the purposes of international search.
which is the language of publication of the international application.
which is the language of the translation (to be) furnished for the purposes of international preliminary examination.
Box No. V

ELECTION OF STATES

The filing of this demand constitutes the election of all Contracting States which are designated and are bound by Chapter II of the PCT.
Form PCT/IPEA/401 (second sheet) (July 2022)

See Notes to the demand form

International application No.

Sheet No. . . .
Box No. VI CHECK LIST
The demand is accompanied by the following elements, in the language referred to in
Box No. IV, for the purposes of international preliminary examination:
1.
2.
3.
4.

translation of international application
:
amendments under Article 34
:
amended sequence listing under Article 34
:
letter accompanying the amendments
under Article 34 (Rule 66.8)
:
5. copy (or, where required, translation) of
amendments under Article 19
:
6. copy of the letter accompanying the amendments
under Article 19 (Rules 46.5(b) and 53.9)
:
7. copy (or, where applicable, translation) of any
statement under Article 19 (Rule 62.1(ii))
:
8. other (specify)

For International Preliminary
Examining Authority use only
received

not received

sheets
sheets

sheets
sheets
sheets
sheets

:

sheets

The demand is also accompanied by the item(s) marked below:
1.

fee calculation sheet

2.

original separate power of attorney

3.

original general power of attorney

4.

copy of general power of attorney;
reference number, if any:

5.

sequence listing for the purposes of international preliminary
examination (Rule 13ter)

6.

a statement to the effect that the sequence listing does not go
beyond the disclosure in the international application as filed

7.

other (specify): _____________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Box No. VII SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT, AGENT OR COMMON REPRESENTATIVE
Next to each signature, indicate the name of the person signing and the capacity in which the person signs (if such capacity is not obvious from reading the demand).

For International Preliminary Examining Authority use only
1. Date of actual receipt of DEMAND:
2. Adjusted date of receipt of demand due
to CORRECTIONS under Rule 60.1(b):
3.

The date of receipt of the demand is AFTER the
expiration of 19 months from the priority date and
item 4 or 5, below, does not apply.

6.

The date of receipt of the demand is AFTER the
expiration of the time limit under Rule 54bis.1(a)
and item 7 or 8, below, does not apply.

The applicant has been informed accordingly.

7.

The date of receipt of the demand is WITHIN the time
limit under Rule 54bis.1(a) as extended by virtue of
Rule 80.5.

8.

Although the date of receipt of the demand is after the
expiration of the time limit under Rule 54bis.1(a), the
delay in arrival is EXCUSED pursuant to Rules 82
or 82quater.

4.

The date of receipt of the demand is WITHIN the time
limit of 19 months from the priority date as extended
by virtue of Rule 80.5.

5.

Although the date of receipt of the demand is after
the expiration of 19 months from the priority date,
the delay in arrival is EXCUSED pursuant to Rules 82
or 82quater.

For International Bureau use only
Demand received from IPEA on:
Form PCT/IPEA/401 (last sheet) (July 2022)

See Notes to the demand form

NOTES TO THE DEMAND FORM (PCT/IPEA/401)
These Notes are intended to facilitate the filling in of the demand form and to give some information concerning international
preliminary examination under Chapter II of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). For more detailed information, see the
PCT Applicant’s Guide, a WIPO publication, which is available, together with other PCT related documents, at WIPO’s website:
www.wipo.int/pct/en/. The Notes are based on the requirements of the PCT, the Regulations and the Administrative Instructions
under the PCT. In case of any discrepancy between these Notes and those requirements, the latter are applicable.
In the demand form and these Notes, “Article”, “Rule” and “Section” refer to the provisions of the PCT, the PCT Regulations
and the Administrative Instructions, respectively.
The demand form shall be typed or printed; check-boxes may be marked by hand with dark ink (Rules 11.9(a) and (b) and 11.14).
The demand form and these Notes may be downloaded from WIPO’s website at the address given above.

IMPORTANT GENERAL INFORMATION
Who May File a Demand? (Article 31(2)(a) and Rule 54):
A demand (for international preliminary examination) may
only be filed by an applicant who is a national or resident of
a PCT Contracting State which is bound by Chapter II of the
PCT; furthermore, the international application must have been
filed with a receiving Office of, or acting for, a State bound by
Chapter II. Where there are two or more applicants (for the same
or different elected States) at least one of them must qualify.
Where Must the Demand Be Filed? (Article 31(6)(a)): The
demand must be filed with a competent International Preliminary
Examining Authority (IPEA). The receiving Office with which
the international application was filed will, upon request, give
information about the competent IPEA (or see the PCT Applicant’s
Guide, Annex C). If several IPEAs are competent, the applicant
has the choice and the demand must be filed with (and the fees
must be paid to) the IPEA chosen by the applicant. The IPEA
chosen by the applicant may be identified, preferably by an
indication of the name or two-letter code of the IPEA, at the top
of the first sheet of the demand in the space provided for that
purpose.
When Must the Demand Be Filed? (Article 39(1) and
Rule 54bis.1): As long as certain designated Offices are still not
bound by the 30-month time limit under Article 22 for entry into
the national phase, the demand – because it contains the required
election of designated States – must be filed within 19 months
from the priority date if the applicant wishes to postpone entry
into the national phase from 20 to 30 months from the priority date
in respect of those designated Offices. For updated information
about those Offices, see the PCT Applicant’s Guide, National
Chapters, Summaries, available on the WIPO website at the
address indicated above. It is recalled that the time limit of 30
months from the priority date applies to all other designated
Offices regardless of whether or not a demand is filed.
If the applicant wishes to file a demand, but not because of
the reason explained above, the applicable time limit for filing
such demand is three months from the date of transmittal of
the international search report or of the declaration referred to
in Article 17(2)(a), and the written opinion established by the
International Searching Authority or 22 months from the priority
date, whichever expires later (see Rule 54bis.1(a)).
Any demand made after the expiration of the applicable time
limit will be considered as if it had not been submitted and the
IPEA shall so declare.
In Which Language Must the Demand Be Filed?
(Rule 55.1): The demand must be filed in the language in which
international preliminary examination will be carried out (see
Notes to Box No. IV).

Notes to the demand form (PCT/IPEA/401) (page 1) (July 2022)

What is the Language of Correspondence? (Rules 55.3
and 92.2 and Section 104): Any letter from the applicant to the
IPEA must be in the same language as the international application
to which it relates. However, where the international preliminary
examination will be carried out on the basis of a translation
(see Notes to Box No. IV), any letter from the applicant to the
IPEA must be in the language of the translation. The IPEA may
authorize the use of other languages for letters which do not
contain or relate to amendments of the international application.
Any letter from the applicant to the International Bureau must be
in English or French, at the choice of the applicant. However,
if the language of the international application is English, the
letter must be in English; if the language of the international
application is French, the letter must be in French.

BOX No. I
Applicant’s or Agent’s File Reference: A file reference
may be indicated, if desired. It should not exceed 25 characters.
Characters in excess of 25 may be disregarded (Section 109).
Identification of the International Application (Rule 53.6):
The international application number must be indicated in Box
No. I. Where the demand is filed at a time when the international
application number has not yet been notified by the receiving
Office, the name of that Office must be indicated instead of the
international application number.
International Filing Date and (Earliest) Priority Date
(Section 110): Dates must be indicated by the Arabic number
of the day, the name of the month and the Arabic number of the
year – in that order; after, below or above such indication, the
date should be repeated in parentheses, using two-digit Arabic
numerals each for the number of the day and for the number of
the month followed by the number of the year in four digits,
in that order, and separated by periods, slants or hyphens, for
example, “26 October 2018 (26.10.2018)”, “26 October 2018
(26/10/2018)” or “26 October 2018 (26-10-2018)”. Where the
international application claims the priority of several earlier
applications, the filing date of the earliest application whose
priority is claimed must be indicated as the priority date.
Title of the Invention: If a new title has been established by
the International Searching Authority, that title must be indicated
in Box No. I.
BOX No. II
Applicant(s) (Rule 53.4): All the applicants for the elected
States must be indicated in the demand. It should be noted that
those persons named as “inventor only” in the request need not
be named in the demand.

page 2

Insert in Box No. II of the demand the required indications as
in Boxes Nos. II and III of the request. The Notes to the request
apply mutatis mutandis. If there are two or more applicants for
the States elected in the demand, give the required indications
for each of them; if there are more than three applicants, make
the required indications on the “Continuation Sheet”.
If different applicants were indicated in the request for
different designated States, there is no need to again indicate in
the demand the States for which a person is applicant, because
those indications have been made in the request.
Applicant’s registration number with the Office
(Rule 53.4): Where the applicant is registered with the national
or regional Office that is acting as International Preliminary
Examining Authority, the demand may indicate the number or
other indication under which the applicant is so registered.
An E-mail address should be indicated for the person named
in Box No. II in order to allow rapid communication with the
applicant (see Rule 4.4(c)). Any telephone or facsimile number
should include the applicable country and area codes. A single
e-mail address only should be indicated. In order to allow rapid and safe receipt of notifications from Offices, it is strongly
recommended that an e-mail address is provided to receive
notifications.
If an e-mail address is indicated, the International Bureau,
and the International Preliminary Examining Authority, if it
provides such a service, will send notifications to that address by
e-mail. In this case, no paper notifications will be sent by postal
mail, unless the International Preliminary Examining Authority
is willing to additionally send such paper notifications. Note that
not all Offices will send such notifications by e-mail (for details
about each Office’s procedure, see the PCT Applicant’s Guide,
Annex B). If no e-mail address is provided, or the applicant chooses
to receive notifications exclusively by postal mail, or in the cases
where the International Preliminary Examining Authority does
not provide for sending notifications by e-mail, notifications will
be sent to the given address exclusively by postal mail.
Note that it is the applicant’s responsibility to keep any
e-mail address details up-to-date and to ensure that incoming
e-mails are not blocked, for any reason, on the recipient’s side.
Changes to the e-mail address indicated should be requested
to be recorded, preferably directly at the International Bureau,
under Rule 92bis. Where the e-mail authorization is given
both in respect of the applicant and in respect of an agent
or common representative, the International Bureau and the
International Preliminary Examining Authority will send
e-mail communications only to the appointed agent or common
representative.
BOX No. III
Agent or Common Representative (Rules 53.5, 90.1
and 90.2): Mark the applicable check-boxes to indicate first
whether the person named in this Box is agent or common
representative, then whether that person has been appointed earlier
(i.e., during the procedure under Chapter I), or is appointed in
the demand and any earlier appointment of another person is
revoked, or is appointed specifically for the procedure before
the IPEA (without revocation of any earlier appointment), in
addition to the person(s) appointed earlier.
Where an additional person is appointed specifically for the
procedure before the IPEA, all notifications issued by the IPEA
will be addressed only to that additional person.

Notes to the demand form (PCT/IPEA/401) (page 2) (July 2022)

A separate power of attorney must be filed with the IPEA,
the International Bureau or the receiving Office, if the person
appointed at the time the demand is filed (i.e., was not appointed
earlier) signs the demand on behalf of the applicant (Rule 90.4).
However, the receiving Office, the International Bureau or the
IPEA may waive the requirement that a separate power of attorney
be filed. For details, see the PCT Applicant’s Guide, Annex B(IB),
Annex C and Annex E.
Agent’s registration number with the Office (Rule 53.5):
Where the agent is registered with the national or regional Office
that is acting as International Preliminary Examining Authority,
the demand may indicate the number or other indication under
which the agent is so registered.
E-mail address (see Notes to Box. No. II).
Address for Correspondence (Rule 4.4(d) and
Section 108): Where an agent is appointed, any correspondence
intended for the applicant will be sent to the address indicated
for that agent (or for the first-mentioned agent, if more than one
is appointed). Where one of two or more applicants is appointed
as common representative, the address indicated for that applicant
in Box No. III will be used.
Where no agent or common representative is appointed, any
correspondence will be sent to the address, indicated in Box No. II,
of the applicant (if only one person is named as applicant) or of
the applicant who is considered to be common representative (if
there are two or more persons named as applicants). However,
if the applicant wishes correspondence to be sent to a different
address in such a case, that address may be indicated in Box No. III
instead of the designation of an agent or common representative.
In this case, and only in this case, the last check-box of Box No. III
must be marked (that is, the last check-box must not be marked
if either of the check-boxes “agent” or “common representative”
in Box No. III has been marked).
BOX No. IV
Statement Concerning Amendments (Rules 53.2(a)(iv),
53.9, 62, 66.1 and 69.1): The international preliminary
examination will start on the basis of the international application
as filed or, if amendments have been filed, as amended. Mark
the appropriate check-box(es) to enable the IPEA to determine
when and on what basis it can start international preliminary
examination.
Mark the corresponding check-box(es) under No. 1
where the international preliminary examination should start
on the basis of the international application as originally filed
or where amendments are to be taken into account, as the case
may be. Where amendments under Article 19 are to be taken
into account, the applicant should preferably submit a copy of
the amendments made under Article 19, the letter accompanying
the amendments (Rules 62.1(ii) and 46.5(b)) and any statement
(Rule 62.1(ii)). Where amendments under Article 34 are to
be taken into account, the applicant must submit with the
Demand the amendments of the international application under
Article 34, together with a letter which must draw attention
to the differences caused by the amendments and indicate the
basis for the amendments in the application as filed and shall
also explain the reasons for the amendments (Rule 66.8). If a
check-box is marked but the demand is not accompanied by
the documents referred to, the start of international preliminary
examination will be delayed until the IPEA receives them.

page 3

Mark check-box No. 2 if amendments of the claims under
Article 19 have been filed with the International Bureau during the
Chapter I procedure, but the applicant wishes those amendments
to be considered reversed by an amendment under Article 34
(Rule 53.9(a)(ii)).
Mark check-box No. 3 if the applicant wants to keep the
option for the filing of amendments of the claims under Article 19
open where the IPEA wishes to start the international preliminary
examination at the same time as the international search in
accordance with Rule 69.1(b). The applicant may request the IPEA
to postpone the start of international preliminary examination
until the expiration of the applicable time limit under Rule 69.1(d)
(Rule 53.9(b)).
Mark check-box No. 4 if the applicant wishes to postpone
the start of the international preliminary examination until the
expiration of the applicable time limit under Rule 54bis.1(a).
Otherwise, and unless Rule 69.1(b) applies (see above), the
IPEA will start the international preliminary examination once
it is in possession of the required fees, the international search
report (or the declaration under Article 17(2)(a)) and the written
opinion established by the ISA (Rule 69.1(a)).
The applicable time limit under Rule 54bis.1(a) is three
months from the date of transmittal of the international search
report or of the declaration referred to in Article 17(2)(a), and
the written opinion established by the International Searching
Authority, or 22 months from the priority date, whichever expires
later.
If no check-box is marked, refer to the footnote at the bottom
of the Box.
Language for the Purposes of International Preliminary
Examination (Rule 55.2): Where neither the language in which
the international application is filed nor the language in which
the international application is published is accepted by the IPEA
that is to carry out the international preliminary examination,
the applicant must furnish with the demand a translation of the
international application into a language which is both a language
accepted by that Authority and a language of publication.
Where such translation has already been furnished to the
International Searching Authority for the purposes of carrying
out international search and the IPEA is part of the same Office
or intergovernmental organization as the International Searching
Authority, the applicant need not furnish another translation. In
such a case the international preliminary examination is carried
out on the basis of the translation furnished for the purposes of
international search.
The language for the purposes of international preliminary
examination should be indicated in Box No. IV and the
corresponding check-box should be marked.
Language of Amendments (Rule 55.3): Amendments, letters
and statements relating thereto must be in the same language as

Notes to the demand form (PCT/IPEA/401) (page 3) (July 2022)

that in which the international preliminary examination is carried
out, as explained in the preceding paragraphs.
Time Limit for Furnishing Translation of the International
Application (Rule 55.2): Any required translation of the
international application should be furnished (by the applicant)
together with the demand. If it is not so furnished, the IPEA
will invite the applicant to furnish it within a time limit which
shall not be less than one month from the date of the invitation.
That time limit may be extended by the IPEA.
BOX No. V
Election of States (Rule 53.7): The making of a demand shall
constitute the election of all States which have been designated
and which are bound by Chapter II of the PCT.
BOX No. VI
Check List: It is recommended that this Box be filled in
carefully in order for the IPEA to determine as soon as possible
whether it is in possession of the documents on the basis of which
the applicant wishes international preliminary examination to
start.
BOX No. VII
Signature (Rules 53.8, 60.1(a-ter) and 90): The demand
must be signed by the applicant or by his agent; if there are
several applicants, the demand must be signed by all of them,
or by the common agent or the common representative of all of
them. However, if the signature(s) of one or more applicants is
missing, the IPEA will not invite the applicants to furnish the
missing signature(s) provided that at least one of the applicants
has signed the demand.
Where the signature on the demand is not that of the applicant,
but that of the agent or the common representative, a separate power
of attorney appointing the agent or the common representative,
respectively, or a copy of a general power of attorney the original
of which has already been deposited with the receiving Office
or the competent Authority, must be furnished. The power of
attorney must be signed by the applicant or, if there is more than
one applicant, by at least one of them. If the power is not filed
with the demand, the IPEA will invite the applicant to furnish
it, unless it has waived the requirement for a separate power of
attorney (for details about each IPEA, see the PCT Applicant’s
Guide, Annex E).
Important: Should a notice of withdrawal be filed at any
time during the international phase, that notice will have to be
signed by the applicant or, if there are two or more applicant’s
by all of them (Rule 90bis.5), or by an agent or a common
representative whose appointment has been effected by each
applicant signing, at his choice, the request, the demand, a
separate power of attorney (Rule 90.4(a)) or a general power
of attorney (Rule 90.5(a)).

CHAPTER II

PCT
FEE CALCULATION SHEET
Annex to the Demand

For International Preliminary Examining Authority use only

International application No.
Applicant’s or agent’s file reference

Date stamp of the IPEA

Applicant

CALCULATION OF PRESCRIBED FEES
(Applicants may be entitled to a reduction of the preliminary examination fee and the handling
fee as indicated in the PCT Fee Tables (www.wipo.int/pct/en/fees.pdf))
P

1. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION FEE . . . . . . . . . .

H

2. HANDLING FEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3. TOTAL OF PRESCRIBED FEES
Add the amounts entered at P and H
and enter total in the TOTAL box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TOTAL

MODE OF PAYMENT
(Not all modes of payment may be available at all IPEAs)
credit card (details should not be
included on this sheet)

postal money order
check

authorization to charge deposit or
current account with the IPEA (see below)

revenue stamps

bank transfer
cash

other (specify): _____________________
__________________________________

AUTHORIZATION TO CHARGE (OR CREDIT) DEPOSIT OR CURRENT ACCOUNT
(This mode of payment may not be available at all IPEAs)
IPEA/________________________________________
Authorization to charge the total fees indicated above.

Deposit or Current Account No.: __________________

(This check-box may be marked only if the conditions
for deposit or current accounts of the IPEA so permit)
Authorization to charge any deficiency or credit any
overpayment in the total fees indicated above.

Date: ________________________________________
Name: _______________________________________
Signature: ____________________________________

Form PCT/IPEA/401 (Annex) (July 2022)

See Notes to the fee calculation sheet

NOTES TO THE FEE CALCULATION SHEET
(ANNEX TO FORM PCT/IPEA/401)
The purpose of the fee calculation sheet is to help the applicant to identify the prescribed fees and to calculate the amounts to
be paid. It is strongly recommended that the applicant complete, by entering the appropriate amounts in the boxes provided, and
submit the fee calculation sheet at the time of filing of the demand. This will help the International Preliminary Examining Authority
(IPEA) to verify the calculations and to identify any error in them.

CALCULATION OF PRESCRIBED FEES
Two fees must be paid for international preliminary
examination:
(i) the preliminary examination fee for the benefit of the
IPEA (Rule 58.1);
(ii) the handling fee for the benefit of the International Bureau
(Rule 57).
Both fees must be paid to the IPEA within one month from
the date on which the demand is submitted or 22 months from
the priority date, whichever expires later. The amount payable
is the amount applicable on the date of payment (Rules 57.3
and 58.1(b). The fees must be paid in a currency acceptable to
the IPEA.
Information about the amount of those fees or about
equivalent amounts in other currencies can be obtained from the
IPEA or the receiving Office. This information is also published
in the PCT Applicant’s Guide, Annex E, and from time to time
in Official Notices (PCT Gazette).
Box P: The amount of the preliminary examination fee
must be entered in Box P.
Box H: The amount of the handling fee must be entered in
Box H.
Reductions: Applicants may be entitled to reductions to
the preliminary examination fees, which are indicated in the
PCT Fee Tables (www.wipo.int/pct/en/fees.pdf) and the relevant
Annex E of the PCT Applicants Guide. If reduced fees apply, the
reduced amount should be indicated in the fee calculation sheet.
Applicants may also be entitled to a reduction to the handling
fee, which is explained below.
Reduction of the Handling Fee for Applicants from Certain
States: An applicant who is a natural person and who is a national
of and resides in a State that is listed as being a State whose per
capita gross domestic product is below US$ 25,000 (according
to the most recent ten year average per capita gross domestic
product figures at constant 2005 US$ values published by the
United Nations), and whose nationals and residents who are
natural persons have filed less than 10 international applications
per year (per million population) or less than 50 international
applications per year (in absolute numbers) according to the
most recent 5-year average yearly filing figures published by the
International Bureau; or an applicant, whether a natural person
or not, who is a national of and resides in a State that is listed
as being classified by the United Nations as a least developed
country, is entitled, in accordance with the Schedule of Fees, to
a reduction of 90% of certain PCT fees including the handling
fee. The applicant is only entitled to the reduction of the handling
fee if, at the time of filing of the demand, the applicant is or all
applicants are the true and only owner(s) of the application and
under no obligation to assign, grant, convey or license the rights

in the invention to another party which is not eligible for the fee
reduction. If there are several applicants, each must satisfy the
above-mentioned criteria. If the applicant is or all applicants
are entitled to the reduction of the handling fee, this reduction
applies on the basis of the indications of name, nationality and
residence given in Box No. II of the demand, without the need
for a specific request to be made.
The fee reduction will be available even if one or more of
the applicants are not from PCT Contracting States, provided
that each of them is a national and resident of a State that meets
the above-mentioned requirements and that at least one of the
applicants is a national or resident of a PCT Contracting State
and thus is entitled to file an international application.
Information about PCT Contracting States whose nationals
and residents are entitled to a reduction of 90% of certain
PCT fees, including the handling fee, is contained in the
PCT Applicant’s Guide, Annex C and on the WIPO website
(see www.wipo.int/pct/en/), and is also published and regularly
updated in the Official Notices (PCT Gazette) and the PCT
Newsletter.
Calculation of the Handling Fee in Case of Fee
Reduction: Where the applicant is (or all applicants are) entitled
to a reduction of the handling fee, the total to be entered at Box H
is 10% of the handling fee.
Total Box: The total of the amounts inserted in Boxes P
and H is the amount which must be paid to the IPEA.
MODE OF PAYMENT
In order to help the IPEA identify the mode of payment of
the prescribed fees, it is recommended to mark the applicable
check-box(es). Credit card details should not be included on the
fee calculation sheet. They should be furnished separately.
AUTHORIZATION TO CHARGE
(OR CREDIT) DEPOSIT OR CURRENT ACCOUNT
The applicant should check whether the IPEA allows the
use of deposit or current accounts for payment of PCT fees. In
addition, it is recommended that the applicant check what are
the specific conditions applicable to the use of deposit or current
accounts with the IPEA since not all IPEAs provide the same
services.
Finally, if the IPEA is not the same national Office
or intergovernmental organization as that with which the
international application was filed, the deposit or current account
with the receiving Office cannot be charged for the purpose of
paying the preliminary examination and handling fees due to the
IPEA.
The IPEA will not charge fees to deposit or current accounts
unless the deposit or current account authorization is signed and
indicates the deposit or current account number.

Notes to the fee calculation sheet (Annex to Form PCT/IPEA/401) (July 2022)