When PRV acts in the capacity of an international authority, international treaties are valid. According to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), applications are secret if nothing specific is stated in the convention text. There are specific provisions that PCT applications must be published 18 months after the international filing date or priority date.

PCT applications which have not been withdrawn by the applicant before 18 months from the international filing date or priority date, if priority has been requested, are public and published by WIPO together with the documents as stated in the PCT. To order documents in such cases, you are referred to WIPO.