Many people ask how long the patent application process takes. The short answer is “a few months to over five years”. That usually leads to the next question: why does the time vary so much?
For Australian patent applicants wishing to protect their invention outside Australia with a standard patent, a very common path is to start the process by filing a provisional application, followed by filing a PCT application and then a national phase application in each chosen country. The provisional and PCT application stages last a combined total of two and a half years…