A PCT application allows an applicant to secure a filing date for an invention, while leaving the decision regarding which PCT countries to pursue patent protection in for another (much later) date. The international stage of a PCT application extends 30 or 31 months from the priority date of the PCT application in most PCT countries, allowing an applicant time to market his or her invention prior to committing to the substantial expense of national stage entry and prosecution potentially in multiple countries. Additionally, the results of a patentability search performed by the selected search authority during the international stage…