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Stage versus Phase?

Posted by Elizabeth Golluscio on Mon, Jan 04, 2010 @ 11:12 AM
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Yes, we know it's officially known as the PCT National Phase... inovia was founded by an Australian patent attorney, after all.

Yet many patent attorneys, agents and applicants in the US refer to it as "PCT national stage entry".  We've used 'stage' on our website and in other materials because many of our (mostly US-based) clients say 'stage'.  So, we're having an internal debate about this choice and thought we'd open it up to our blog readers...  what do you say?  Should we use 'phase' or stick with 'stage'?


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Comments

It is referred to in U.S. law at 35 U.S.C. 371 as the "National stage." Also, WIPO sometimes uses it as well. See e.g. http://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/pct/en/pct_r_1/pct_r_1_13.doc . I think most view "national phase" and "national stage" as interchangeable.
Posted @ Wednesday, January 06, 2010 11:52 AM by Louis Ventre
You probably will not be able to change the engrained term, national stage. Ideally you would like to educate your reader that these terms are interchangeable. For example, by referring to: the national state (i.e., the PCT National Phase) at least once in the document. Also, it would be good to stick to the localized version in the target market.
Posted @ Wednesday, January 06, 2010 3:22 PM by Gaurav Goel
I call it the national stage - always have.
Posted @ Wednesday, January 06, 2010 5:41 PM by Theresa Olmstead
Our US patent firm has always used the term national phase, however as we know the terms are interchangeable I say continue to use the term "stage".
Posted @ Saturday, January 09, 2010 3:47 PM by John Bostrom
It should be used the term used by the WIPO, and the PCT treaty, whichever it is.  
 
As far as I think it is National Phase.
Posted @ Monday, January 11, 2010 11:41 AM by Orlando Lasso
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