What are the requirements for correspondence in PCT applications?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

According to MPEP 1834, correspondence in PCT applications must meet specific requirements:

• Any paper submitted during the international procedure must be accompanied by a letter identifying the international application, unless it’s already in the form of a letter.
• The letter must be signed by the applicant.
• If these requirements are not met, the applicant will be invited to remedy the omission within a specified time limit.

As stated in PCT Rule 92.1(a): “Any paper submitted by the applicant in the course of the international procedure provided for in the Treaty and these Regulations, other than the international application itself, shall, if not itself in the form of a letter, be accompanied by a letter identifying the international application to which it relates. The letter shall be signed by the applicant.”