The State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) recently introduced new software that allows the electronic filing of international patent applications under the World Intellectual Property Organization's Patent Cooperation Treat (PCT).

The PCT-SAFE (Secure Applications Filed Electronically) software has already been made available to other intellectual property offices around the world such as Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain, just to name a few. With the new software, inventors and businesses wishing to have patent protection in several countries can now electronically file their international applications.

Chinese applicants will be able to arrange and file PCT applications in an electronic format. The country has the 8^th largest PCT filings in the world. According to WIPO, PCT filings from China increased by 56.8% from 2005-2006.

PCT-SAFE offers users the chance to file their applications by way of secure online transmission. The system contains security services and a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), a receiving server for use in offices, and a word processing-like device which allows users to write and draw in a compatible electronic format for e-filing.

OCT-SAFE is based on an improved version of PCT-EASY to make transition easier.

Applicants will receive almost instant notification that their application has been received and is being processed. An added bonus of this new system is that it decreases the cost of copying and mailing of applications.

The software can still be operated in PCT-EASY form where applications are filed on paper with the request form information, and abstract on diskette, CD or DVD.

A new patch for the PCT-SAFE client software has recently been made available for download.