Filing of PCT International applications by email

IPONZ acting as the International Receiving Office will receive International Applications via e-mail (mail@iponz.govt.nz) with immediate effect. Providing that the International Application meets the requirements of Article 11(1) PCT and is filed prior to 11.59pm on a day that the Office is open, then the date of receipt of the email at the IPONZ server will be deemed to be the international filing date of the application. Note: any documents filed on a closed day will be dated the next open day.

Where certain defects in the application do not allow an international filing date to be accorded, then the applicant will be invited by IPONZ to correct those defects. The date that the applicant complies with the invitation to correct certain defects in the original application will be deemed to be the international filing date (Article 11(2)(b)).

Please note, that any additional information or documentation relating to for example the specification (such as claims, drawings, sequence listings and the like) not received or included with the email may, if filed later than the emailed application, result in loss of the international filing date. Applicants filing an International Application via email at IPONZ should therefore, also provide a physical copy by FastPost, Courier or other suitable delivery service of any documentation to accompany the emailed International Application.

Applications filed by email will receive an automatic confirmation email from IPONZ indicating receipt of the International Application indicating receipt of the emailed International Application.

Further information on International Applications can be found here. Please note that International Applications can be filed at IPONZ using the PCT-SAFE software package, which is free and can be found on the  WIPO website.