International patent application (PCT procedure)

Key benefits of PCT filing

• A single international filing to protect your rights in many countries.
• Up to 30 months (often 30 to 31) from the priority date to decide on target countries (national phase), saving time to test the market and attract investors.
• International Search Report (ISR) and written opinion to assess patentability before incurring costs in each country.
• Progressive budget strategy: you spread out the costs (drafting, international taxes, translations, national taxes, annuities).

Our method – 100% PCT support

Step 1 — Qualification & strategy

• Prior art search (patents, technical literature) and patentability opinion: prior art patent search & strategic patentability advice.
• Definition of target markets (EU, USA, Gulf, Africa), schedule, cost/time trade-offs.

Step 2 — Professional writing

• Drafting of the application (description, claims, drawings, abstract) focused on practical value and technical advantages: drafting of patent applications.
• Structure for broad coverage + alternative sets of claims (main, dependent, implemented).

Step 3 — International filing (PCT phase)

• Filing via OMPIC (as receiving office) or WIPO: ompic.ma • wipo.int.
• International fee management: filing fee, search fee (according to ISA), page/drawing fees if applicable.

Step 4 — International research & written opinion

• Receipt of the international search report (ISR) and written opinion on novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability.
• Analysis by Le Conseillex: mapping of cited documents, risk assessment, and amendment plan if necessary.

Step 5 — PCT Publication (≈ 18 months)

• Monitoring of international publication and communication to partners/investors.
• Implementation of continuous competitive monitoring: monitoring of competing patents.

Step 6 — International preliminary examination (optional)

• If necessary (Chapter II), we will initiate an international preliminary examination request to improve the position before entering the national phase.

Step 7 — Entering the national phase

• Selection of countries, translations, payment of local taxes, appointment of foreign agents, monitoring of deadlines (generally 30 months and up to 31 months depending on the jurisdiction).
• Overall coordination and defense plan (responses to official letters, hearings, adjustments to claims).

Indicative schedule & critical milestones

• M0: priority filing (Morocco or other) or direct PCT filing.
• M12: if priority, deadline for filing a PCT application claiming Paris Convention priority.
• M16–M18: ISR receipt/written opinion • M18: PCT publication.
• M22 (if Chapter II): international preliminary examination & IPRP report.
• M30 (up to M31 depending on the country): entry into the national phase.

Documents & requirements for a solid PCT

• Technical presentation (technical problem, solution, advantages, state-of-the-art comparison).
• Experimental data or proof of concept, if useful (performance, protocols, results).
• Clear diagrams/drawings (numbering, references) and variants.
• Market strategy (target countries, business model: product sales, licensing, joint ventures).

Budget & cost optimization

Costs vary depending on technical complexity, page volume, the ISA chosen, target countries, and translations. We build a budget plan in stages:

• Stage 1: Pre-PCT — prior art search + drafting of the application.
• Stage 2: PCT filing — international fees (filing, search) + WIPO/WIPO-IPC management.
• Stage 3: National phase — translations, local taxes, foreign agents, examination responses.
• Stage 4: After delivery — annual fees, monitoring, anti-counterfeiting defense.

Quality of drafting & claims strategy

• Evidence-oriented writing: technical effects, implementations, variants, dependencies.
• Anticipation of standard objections (clarity, sufficiency, novelty, inventive step).
• Preparation of controlled amendments: safeguarding useful protection at the national level.

Risk management & compliance

• Disclosures: strict management of publications prior to submission (confidentiality, NDAs, abstracts).
• Freedom to operate (FTO): identification of blocking patents in target countries.
• Post-publication monitoring: detection of competitors and substitute technologies.

Use cases in Morocco – examples of sectors

• Automotive & industry (Tangier Med, Kenitra): assembly processes, sensors, materials.
• Agri-food (Souss-Massa/Agadir): active packaging, extraction processes, traceability.
• Energy & climate (wind/solar): management algorithms, yields, storage.
• IoT & healthcare (Casablanca/Rabat/Tangier): connected devices, telehealth, medical AI.

Why choose Le Conseillex for your PCT?

• +10 years of experience in patents in Morocco and internationally.
• Multidisciplinary technical and legal team (mechanical engineering, electronics, software, chemistry).
• Turnkey process: from concept to national rollout and operation.
• Continuous integration: Morocco repository • annuities • monitoring.
• Absolute rigor, responsiveness, and confidentiality.

Useful resources

• OMPIC – Office Marocain de la Propriété Industrielle et Commerciale
• OMPI – Organisation Mondiale de la Propriété Intellectuelle
• Services connexes : Recherche d’antériorité • Rédaction de brevet • Paiement des annuités • Surveillance des brevets concurrents