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HOME/PRACTICE/INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION
◈ PRACTICE / INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION

IP that
crosses
borders.

Patents, trademarks, and design rights coordinated across the U.S. and abroad — direct national filings or a centralized international filing, all anchored to a single priority date.

// FILING ROUTES
PatentsPCT or direct national
TrademarksMadrid or direct
DesignsHague or direct
Local counselVetted · 60+ countries
// 01 / OUR APPROACH

One coordinator. Many countries.

For most clients, international protection means working with a network of foreign agents whose schedules, formats, and fee structures don't line up. We absorb that complexity so you don't have to. One docket, one point of contact, one budget conversation.

We coordinate filings with vetted local counsel in 60+ jurisdictions, manage office actions and translations, and align renewal calendars so nothing slips. Your foreign portfolio reads like one document, not forty.

// 02 / ROUTES & FRAMEWORK

The routes — and the priority window they share.

◈ TREATY
PCT
Patent Cooperation Treaty
One centralized international patent filing that preserves your options across many countries before you commit to filing in each one. It runs inside the Paris priority window — it doesn't replace it.
◈ TREATY
MADRID
Madrid Protocol
Centralized trademark filing across many jurisdictions through WIPO. Lower per-country cost; linked to your home application during an initial dependency period.
◈ TREATY
PARIS
Paris Convention
Not a filing vehicle — the priority-rights framework the others run through. A first filing sets a priority date that later filings can claim, so direct national, PCT, and Madrid filings all build on it.
◈ TREATY
HAGUE
Hague Agreement
Industrial-design filing across multiple member countries through a single application. Useful for hardware and consumer products.
// 03 / HOW WE WORK

Four phases.
Many time zones.

01
Country Strategy
Where do you sell, manufacture, and license? We map IP priorities to your business map.
02
Route Selection
Direct national or centralized international, plus the brand and design paths — the cheapest route to the same protection.
03
Coordinated Filings
Local counsel engaged, translations managed, formal requirements met without a fire drill.
04
Maintenance
Renewal calendars, annuity payments, and office-action forwarding handled centrally.
// PORTFOLIO STRATEGIES

International protection is scoped alongside the US portfolio, not within it. The three illustrative portfolio strategies are US-only; international cost scales with the number of jurisdictions pursued and is quoted separately.

THREE PORTFOLIO STRATEGIES (US-ONLY) →INTERNATIONAL SCOPE DETAIL →BOOK A PATENT CONSULT →
◈ GO INTERNATIONAL

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everywhere you sell?

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// FAQ

Frequently asked questions about international.

  • What is the PCT and how does it work?
    The Patent Cooperation Treaty lets an applicant file a single international application that preserves the option to seek protection in many countries before committing to filing in each one. It runs inside the Paris Convention priority framework — it doesn't replace it — and it doesn't produce a single 'world patent'; rights still issue from each national or regional office. Lynch LLP plans the PCT route alongside U.S. prosecution.
  • How do we get patents in multiple countries?
    There are two principal routes: direct national filings in each country, or a single PCT application followed by national-stage entries. Both claim priority under the Paris Convention — the PCT is a procedural overlay on that framework, not an alternative to it. The right route depends on which countries matter, the budget profile over time, and how prosecution is sequenced. Lynch LLP plans international strategy alongside U.S. prosecution and coordinates vetted local counsel for translation, formalities, and annuity management.
  • What is the Madrid Protocol for trademarks?
    The Madrid Protocol lets a trademark owner file a single international application through WIPO based on a U.S. application or registration and designate member jurisdictions for protection. It simplifies filings and centralizes maintenance, but each designated office examines under its own law, so it isn't a global registration. It pairs well with direct filings in jurisdictions where local examination practice or use requirements warrant a parallel approach.
  • What is national-phase entry?
    National-phase entry is the step where a PCT applicant formally enters the national or regional patent system of a chosen jurisdiction. Each entry triggers translations, official fees, and local procedural requirements, and from that point on the application is prosecuted under the laws of that jurisdiction. Lynch LLP manages national-phase decisions against the budget and strategic value of each market.