1.9 Representation in the international phase 

1.9.001Any attorney, patent agent or other person ("agent") having the right to practise before the national or regional patent office with which the international application was filed is entitled to practise in respect of that application before: 

–this national or regional office acting as receiving Office, 

–the IB, 

–the competent ISA, 

–the competent SISA and 

–the competent IPEA. 

1.9.003Two or more applicants may choose to appoint either a common agent for the international phase or one of the said applicants who is a national or resident of a PCT contracting state to act as their common representative, who in turn may then appoint an agent.

1.9.004If no common agent or common representative has been appointed, the applicant first named in the request who is entitled to file an international application with the receiving Office is considered to be the common representative (see points 2.11.006 ff). The "deemed common representative" is not entitled to sign notices of withdrawal on behalf of co-applicants. If a deemed common representative has appointed an agent, the latter will be considered to be the agent of record and may validly perform any act which could be performed by the deemed common representative. If an agent has been appointed by a co-applicant of the deemed common representative, the agent will be entitled to act only on behalf of that co-applicant.