PCT-EASY (Electronic Application SYstem) is a free software product designed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to facilitate the preparation of PCT international applications in electronic form and, ultimately, facilitate the transfer (read: filing) of such applications by electronic means.

PCT EASY can be downloaded from www.pcteasy.wipo.int. You will be asked to register your use of the software with WIPO. WIPO will then assign you a license number which you will use for all future upgrades.

Currently, the software allows for the preparation of a Request form, which provides for the input and validation of Request form data and the attachment of the abstract in electronic form. It also allows you to print out a PCT computer-generated Request form, replacing the existing PCT/RO/101 form for the purposes of PCT-EASY filing.

PCT-EASY filings also benefit from a 200 CHF (US$122.00) reduction of the total International Fees due when the application -- filed in paper form -- is accompanied by the PCT-EASY diskette generated by the PCT-EASY software. The diskette will contain the Request form data file and the abstract in text ( .txt) format.

One of the best features of PCT-EASY is that it contains approximately 200 validations. The validation function is used to check and confirm that the data entered is correct and consistent. For example, let's say you are preparing a PCT-EASY Request form. For your PCT application, Company A is the applicant. You have indicated that you wish to designate all PCT member countries on your Request, excluding the United States. However, you indicate that the inventor is also the applicant, an inconsistency not permitted under such a PCT filing. Before PCT-EASY will allow you to complete the Request, you will be prompted to confirm the inventor designation. It is not possible to submit a PCT-EASY application when there are such inconsistencies.

PCT-EASY also has the capability of generating templates from saved PCT-EASY application data. Templates can contain as much (or as little) data as you are likely to reuse.

Given the complexities of a PCT application filing, and given that PCT-EASY was designed to make PCT filings easier and more user-friendly, it is worth checking out.