Patent drawing

A patent application or patent may contain drawings, also called patent drawings, illustrating the invention, some of its embodiments (which are particular implementations or methods of carrying out the invention), or the prior art. The drawings may be required by the law to be in a particular form, and the requirements may vary depending on the jurisdiction.

Jurisdictions

Europe

Under the European Patent Convention, Article 78(1) EPC provides that a European patent application shall contain any drawings referred to in the description or the claims. Drawings are therefore optional. Rule 46 EPC specifies the form in which the drawings must be executed.

The European search report is drawn up in respect of a European patent application on the basis of the claims, with due regard to the description and any drawings. In addition, the extent of the protection conferred by a European patent or a European patent application is determined by the claims, with the description and drawings being used to interpret the claims.

Patent Cooperation Treaty

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) is an international agreement administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that simplifies the process of seeking patent protection across many countries. By filing a single "international" patent application, an inventor can achieve the same legal effect as filing separate national applications in all PCT member states. This unified procedure allows applicants up to 30 months from their initial filing date to decide in which specific national or regional offices to pursue a patent, thus providing valuable time to assess market potential and defer significant costs.