Argentina moves closer to joining the Patent Cooperation Treaty

On 27 August 2026, Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies approved the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) by 147 votes to 93. Argentina signed the PCT in 1970, and the Senate approved its accession in 1998, but the country has never completed the process and is not currently one of the PCT Contracting States. The text approved by the Chamber of Deputies includes a reservation under Article 64(1)(a) of the PCT concerning Chapter II, which governs international preliminary examination. As a result of this modification, the proposal must now return to the Senate for further approval.

If the accession process is completed, applicants seeking patent protection in Argentina would be able to use the PCT route instead of relying exclusively on direct national filings or the Paris Convention route. Likewise, Argentine applicants would gain access to the PCT system when seeking protection abroad.