ABSTRACT
Patents around the world Many countries around the world grant patents for inventions. Patents are territorial, enforceable only within the boundaries of the issuing country. It is rarely if ever cost-effective to ‹le a patent application in each such country. Therefore, a decision must be made regarding the countries in which patent protection will be sought. If patentable technology is to be commercialized on an international basis, business considerations may dictate the ‹ling of foreign patent applications-a process that is both time-consuming and expensive. Patent prosecution efforts as well as government and legal fees may have to be repeated for each country in which a patent application is ‹led.
