In Equinox Corporate+, managing the national phase filings for PCT applications is a streamlined process that ensures accurate data transfer and efficient workflow management. This article will guide you through the steps of creating PCT national phase filings, leveraging the extension workflows feature to select countries for nationalization and seamlessly transferring details from the corresponding WO case.
Step 1: Accessing Extension Workflows
Navigate to the PCT application for which you wish to initiate national phase filings.
Look for the "Extension Workflows" option at the top right. Click on it to proceed.
Step 2: Selecting Countries for Nationalization
Upon accessing the Extension Workflows, you will be presented with a list of available countries for national phase entry.
Move the countries to the selected options box where you intend to file national phase applications. You can select multiple countries simultaneously if needed. You will also notice you can set “Top Patent Countries” to provide you with a short list of your top filing destinations.
Step 3: Initiating the Workflow
After selecting the desired countries, proceed to initiate the extension workflow.
Follow the prompts to confirm your selections and initiate the national phase filing process.
Step 4: Reviewing Details from the WO Case
Once the workflow is initiated, you will be directed to a summary page where you can review all the details imported from the corresponding WO (international) case.
Verify that all the necessary information, including applicant details, priority information, and application data, has been accurately transferred.
Step 5: Completing the Filing Process
After reviewing the details, proceed to the final step of the filing process.
Submit the national phase filings for the selected countries, ensuring compliance with any additional requirements or documentation specified by each respective patent office.
Step 6: Confirmation and Tracking
Upon successful submission, you will be able to view the cases in the family overview or family tab on the patent case.
Track the progress of each national phase application within Equinox Corporate+ to stay informed about important deadlines and milestones.
After the filings are made, you can check each of the cases as docket actions will have been created for them:
this saves you the effort of having to add these tasks and deadlines to these cases.