Law - PCT Publication Date

The International Bureau publishes the international application along with the search report and any amended claims at the expiration of 18 months after the priority date or the PCT filing date, whichever is earlier. Upon publication, the application, for most purposes, enters the "prior art."

The position of the USPTO on this issue is described in the following section(s) of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP):

MPEP 1801 - Basic Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Principles

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