Good answers to common patent questions. I'd like to add re: Worldwide Protection, filing a PCT application does provide a system to file a single patent application in over 140 countries, but a PCT application does not give you protection in 140+ countries. A PCT application never issues to patent and you have no protection in any country until you have an issued patent. The advantage of PCT filing is the amount of work to perfect filing rights is minimal, and filing costs greatly reduced as opposed to direct filing in separate countries.
Once PCT application filed, one can then file the PCT application at the national phase in the countries which protection is desired. If a positive examination result is received in the PCT application, the patent examiners in the countries entered nationally are more likely to issue patent.