# Facilitating the Use of the World Intellectual Property Organization's ePCT System To Prepare International Applications for Filing With the United States Receiving Office
> **US Patent and Trademark Office** · Final rule. · Published 2020-09-30 · Effective 2020-09-30 · 85 FR 61604
## Document
- **Document number:** 2020-18743
- **Category:** uspto-patent
- **Sub-agency:** US Patent and Trademark Office
- **Federal Register citation:** 85 FR 61604
- **CFR reference:** 37 CFR 5
- **Publication date:** 2020-09-30
- **Effective date:** 2020-09-30
- **Commerce docket:** Docket No. PTO-P-2019-0033
## Abstract

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is amending the foreign filing license rules to facilitate the use of ePCT (a World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) online service) to prepare an international application for filing with the USPTO in its capacity as a Receiving Office (RO/US) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). While the former foreign filing license rules authorized the export of technical data to ePCT for purposes of preparing an international application for filing in a foreign PCT Receiving Office, they did not authorize the export of technical data to ePCT for purposes of preparing an international application for filing with the RO/US. As a foreign filing license addresses the export of technical data, the USPTO is amending the foreign filing license rules to further provide that a foreign filing license from the USPTO authorizes the export of technical data abroad for purposes related to the use of ePCT to prepare an international application for filing with the RO/US under the PCT.

## Source
- [Federal Register document](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/09/30/2020-18743/facilitating-the-use-of-the-world-intellectual-property-organizations-epct-system-to-prepare)
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