The period for Entering the PCT national phase in Armenia is 31 months from the priority date, and reinstating this timeframe is not possible.
Armenian Patent Office proceedings are conducted in Armenian, and if the international application is submitted in any other language, an Armenian translation must be presented within three months of entering the PCT national phase in Armenia.
For the national phase in Armenia, the patent office requires a request for a patent grant and an international application. A Power of Attorney (POA) should be submitted to the Armenian Patent Office during the national phase entry or within two months after filing, and there is no need for legalization or notarization of the POA.
Examination of a PCT National Phase Entry in Armenia
Examination procedures for a PCT national phase entry in Armenia involve a formal examination within three months of entry. While the substantive examination is not stipulated, preliminary patents are issued at the applicant’s responsibility based on the formal examination. Within nine years from the Armenian filing date, substantive examination results from a qualified patent organization or another authorized agency must be submitted to obtain a 20-year patent. Failure to submit results restricts patent validity to 10 years from the filing date instead of 20.
Regarding the novelty grace period, disclosure of information by the applicant or any person with information from the applicant within 12 months before the priority date does not negate the novelty of the invention under Armenian legislation.
Official fees for grant and publication are due within three months of receiving the decision to grant a patent. Annual maintenance fees are paid in advance from the second year of validity, due on the anniversary of the international filing date. Late payments within a six-month grace period require a surcharge of 50% of the annual fee.
The validity period for a patent is 20 years from the international filing date, and for a short-term patent, it is 10 years from the international filing date.
The registration procedure duration from national phase entry to patent grant in Armenia typically takes 1-2 years on average.
Armenia does not allow the national phase entry of a PCT application as a utility model. However, obtaining a short-term patent for inventions similar to utility models in other countries is possible.
Foreign applicants are advised to go through the PCT national phase entry with a registered Armenian patent attorney. Additionally, providing the patent office with an Armenian address for correspondence is mandatory for foreign applicants.
Please find a list of Armenia IP Firms here