BUDAPEST TREATY FULL TEXT

CHAPTER 1
SUBSTANTIVE PROVISIONS

Article 3. Recognition and Effect of the Deposit of Microorganisms

(1) (a) Contracting States which allow or require the deposit of microorganisms for the purposes of patent procedure shall recognize, for such purposes, the deposit of a microorganism with any international depositary authority. Such recognition shall include the recognition of the fact and date of the deposit as indicated by the international depositary authority as well as the recognition of the fact that what is furnished as a sample is a sample of the deposited microorganism.

(b) Any Contracting State may require a copy of the receipt of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (a), issued by the international depositary authority.

(2) As far as matters regulated in this Treaty and the Regulations are concerned, no Contracting State may require compliance with requirements different from or additional to those which are provided in this Treaty and the Regulations.

Article 4. New Deposit

(1) (a) Where the international depositary authority cannot furnish samples of the deposited microorganism for any reason, in particular,

(i) where such microorganisms is no longer viable, or

(ii) where the furnishing of samples would require that they be sent abroad and the sending or the receipt of the samples abroad is prevented by export or import restrictions, that authority shall, promptly after having noted its inability to furnish samples, notify the depositor of such inability, indicating the cause thereof, and the depositor,subject to paragraph
(2) and as provided in this paragraph, shall have the rights to make a new deposit of the microorganism which was originally deposited.

(b) The new deposit shall be made with the international depositary authority with which the original deposit was made, provided that:

(i) it shall be made with another international depositary authority where the institution with which the original deposit was made has ceased to have the status of international depositary authority, either entirely or in respect of the kind of microorganism to which the deposited microorganism belongs, or where the international depositary authority with which the original deposit was made discontinues, temporarily or definitively, the performance of its functions in respect of deposited microorganisms;

(ii) it may be made with another international depositary authority in the case referred to in subparagraph
(a) (ii).

(c) Any new deposit shall be accompanied by a statement signed by the depositor alleging that the newly deposited microorganism is the same as that originally deposited. If the allegation of the depositor is contested, the burden of proof shall be governed by the applicable law.

(d) Subject to subparagraphs (a) to (c) and (e), the new deposit shall be treated as if it had been made on the date on which the original deposit was made where all the preceding statements concerning the viability of the originally deposited microorganisms indicated that the microorganism was viable and where the new deposit was made within three months after the date on which the depositor received the notification referred to in subparagraph (a).

(e) Where subparagraph (b) (I) applies and the depositor does not receive the notification referred to in subparagraph (a) within six month after the date on which the termination, limitation or discontinuance referred to in subparagraph (b) (i) was published by the International Bureau, the three-month time limit referred to in subparagraph (d) shall be counted from the date of the said publication.

(2) The right referred to in paragraph (1) (a) shall not exist where the deposited microorganism has been transferred to another international depositary authority as long as that authority is in a position to furnish samples of such microorganisms.

Article 5. Export and Import Restrictions

Each Contracting State recognizes that it is highly desirable that, if and to the extent to which the export form or import into its territory of certain kinds of microorganisms is restricted, such restriction should apply to microorganisms deposited, or destined for deposit, under this Treaty only where the restriction is necessary in view of national security or the dangers for health or the environment.

Article 6. Status of International Depositary Authority

(1) In order to quality for the status of international depositary authority, any depositary institution must be located on the territory of a Contracting State and must benefit from assurances furnished by that State to the effect that the said institution complies and will continue
to comply with the requirements specified in paragraph (2). The said assurances may be furnished also by an intergovernmental industrial property organization; n that case, the depositary institution must be located on the territory of a State member of the said organization.

(2) The depositary institution must, in its capacity of international depositary authority:

(i) have a continuous existence;

(ii) have the necessary staff and facilities, as prescribed in the Regulations, to perform its scientific and administrative tasks under this Treaty;

(iii) be impartial and objective;

(iv) be available, for the purposes of deposit, to any depositor under the same conditions;

(v) accept for deposit any or certain kinds of microorganisms, examine their viability statement, as prescribed in the Regulations;

(vi) issue a receipt to the depositor, and any required viability statement, as prescribed in the Regulations;

(vii) comply, in respect of the deposited microorganisms, with the requirement of secrecy, as prescribed in the Regulations;

(viii) furnish samples of any deposited microorganism under the conditions and in conformity with the procedure prescribed in the Regulations.

(3) The Regulation shall provide the measures to be taken:

(i) where an international depositary authority discontinues, temporarily or definitively, the performance of its functions in respect of deposited microorganisms or refuses to accept any of the kinds of microorganisms which it should accept under the assurances furnished;

(ii) in case of the termination or limitation of the status of international depositary authority of an international depositary authority.

Article 7. Acquisition of the Status of International Depositary authority

(1) (a) A depositary institution shall acquire the status of international depositary authority by virtue of a written communication addressed to the Director General by the Contracting State on the territory of which the depositary institution is located and including a declaration of assurances to the effect that the said institution complies and will continue to comply with the requirements specified in Article 6 (2). the said status may be acquired also by virtue of a written communication addressed to the Director General by an intergovernmental industrial property organization and including the said declaration.

(b) The communication shall also contain information on the depositary institution as provided in the Regulations and may indicate the date on which the status of international depositary authority should take effect.

(2) (a) If the Director General finds that the communication includes the required declaration and that all the required information has been received, the communication shall be promptly published by the International Bureau.

(b) The status of international depositary authority shall be acquired as from the date of publication of the communication or, where a date has been indicated under paragraph (1) (b) and such date is later than the date of publication of the communication, as from such date.

(3) The details of the procedure under paragraphs (1) and (2) are provided in the Regulations.

Article 8. Termination and Limitation of the Status of International Depositary Authority

(1) (a) Any Contracting State or any intergovernmental industrial property organization may request the Assembly to terminate, or to limit to certain kinds of microorganisms, any authority's status of international depositary authority on the ground that the requirements specified in Article 6 have not been or are no longer complied with. However, such a request may not be made by a Contracting State or intergovernmental industrial property organization in respect of an international depositary authority for which it has made the declaration referred to in Article 7 (1) (a).

(b) Before making the request under subparagraph (a), the Contracting State or the intergovernmental industrial property organization shall, through the intermediary of the Director General, notify the reasons for the proposed request to the Contracting State or the intergovernmental industrial property organization which has made the communication referred to in Article 7 (1) so that the State or organization may, within six months from the date of the said notification, take appropriate action to obviate the need for making the proposed request.

(c) Where the Assembly finds that the request is well founded, it shall decide to terminate, or to limit to certain kinds of microorganisms, the status of international depositary authority of the authority referred to in subparagraph (a). The decision of the Assembly shall require that a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast be in favour of the request.

(2) (a) The Contracting State or intergovernmental industrial property organization having made the declaration referred to in Article 7 (1) (a) may, by a communication addressed to the Director General, withdraw its declaration either entirely or in respect only of certain kinds of microorganisms and in any event shall de so when and to the extent that its assurances are no longer applicable.

(b) Such a communication shall, from the date provided for in the Regulations, entail, where it relates to the entire declaration, the termination of the status of international depositary authority or, where it relates only to certain kinds of microorganisms, a corresponding limitation of such status.

(3) The details of the procedure under paragraphs (1) and (2) are provided in the Regulations.

Article 9. Intergovernmental Industrial Property Organizations

(1) (a) Any intergovernmental organization to which several States have entrusted the task of granting regional patents and of which all the member States are members of the International (Paris) Union for the Protection of Industrial Property may file with the Director General a declaration that it accepts the obligation of recognition provide for in Article 3 (1) (a), the obligation concerning the requirements referred to in Article 3 (2) and all the effects of the provisions of this Treaty and the Regulations applicable to the intergovernmental industrial property organizations. If filed before the entry into force of this Treaty according 16 (1), the declaration referred to in the preceding sentence shall become effective on the date of the said entry into force. If filed after such entry into force, the said declaration shall become effective after three months after its filing unless a late date has been indicated in the declaration. In the latter case, the declaration shall take effect on the date thus indicated.

(b) The said organization shall have the right provided for in Article 3 (1) (b).

(2) Whey any provision of this Treaty or of the Regulations affecting intergovernmental industrial property organizations is revised or amended, any intergovernmental industrial property organizations may withdraw its declaration referred to in paragraph (1) by notification addressed to the Director General. The withdraw shall take effect:

(i) where the notification has been received before the date on which the revision or amendment enters into force, on that date;

(ii) where the notification has been received after the date referred to in (i), on the date indicated in the notification or, in the absence of such indication, three months after the date on which the notification was received.

(3) In addition to the case referred to in paragraph (2), any intergovernmental industrial property organization may withdraw its declaration referred to in paragraph (1) (a) by notification addressed to the Director General. The withdraw shall take effect two years after the date on which the Director General has received the notification. No notification of withdrawal under this paragraph shall be receivable during a period of five years from the date on which the declaration took effect.

(4) The withdrawal referred to in paragraph (2) or (3) by an intergovernmental industrial property organization whose communication under Article 7 (1) has led to the acquisition of the status of international depositary authority by a depositary institution shall entail the termination of such status one year after the date on which the Director General has received the notification of withdrawal.

(5) Any declaration referred to in paragraph (1) (a), notification of withdrawal referred to in paragraph (2) or (3), assurances furnished under Article 6 (1), second sentence, and included in a declaration made in accordance with Article 7 (1) (a), request made under Article 8 (1) and communication of withdrawal referred to in Article 8 (2) shall require the express previous approval of the supreme governing organ of the intergovernmental industrial property organization whose members are all the States members of the said organization and in which decisions are made by the official representatives of the governments of such States.