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Federal Act of June 25, 1954, on Patents for Inventions (status as of September 1, 2008), Switzerland

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Year of Version 2008 Dates Entry into force: January 1, 1956 Adopted: June 25, 1954 Type of Text Main IP Laws Subject Matter Patents (Inventions), Competition, Undisclosed Information (Trade Secrets), Enforcement of IP and Related Laws, Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge (TK) Notes The notification by Switzerland to the WTO under Article 63.2 of TRIPS states:
'In respect of patents, Switzerland and Liechtenstein constitute a single territory.

Articles 112 to 116 and 148: adopted on 16 December 2005, entered into effect on 1 May 2008 (RO 2008 1739).
Articles 112 to 116
Article 148
Amendments implementing the Agreement on the Application of Article 65 of the Convention on the Grant of European Patents (EPC Language Agreement; RS 0.232.142.202).
- Repealed.
- Transitional provision concerning the amendment of 16 December 2005 of the Law on Patents.
Articles 1a, 1b, 2, 5, 7, 7a, 7c, 7d, 8, 8a to 8c, 9, 9a, 26, 28, 29, 40b to 40e, 49, 49a, 50, 50a, 58a, 59, 59b, 59c, 59d, 60, 61, 62, 63, 63a, 65, 66, 70, 70a, 71 to 73, 75, 77, 81, 81a, 82, 86; heading preceding Article 86a; Articles 86a to 86k, 87 to 90, 96 to 101, 104 to 106a, 121, 138, 139, 140h, 142, 143, 144 and 145: adopted on 22 June 2007, entered into effect on 1 July 2008 (RO 2008 2551)
Amendments introduced under the second part of the general revision of the Law on Patents (relating, in particular, to biotechnological inventions and the approval of the Patent Law Treaty (PLT)).
Details of amendments under the second part of the general revision of the Law on Patents (biotechnological inventions and PLT), by group of provisions:
Articles 1a, 1b and 2
Article 8.1, 8a, 8b and 8c
Article 9 and 9a(3)
Article 40b and 40c
Articles 49.2(b), 49a, 50a, 81a and 138
Articles 5.2, 58a, 59.5 and 59.6, 59b, 59c, 61, 62, 65 and 73.3
Amendments concerning biotechnological inventions
- Notion of invention and exclusions from patentability.
- Effects of the patent.
- Exemptions from the effects of the patent
- Legal restrictions on patent rights.
- Patent application requirements.
- Amendments concerning the Swiss patent procedure.
Article 13.1
Article 46a(2)
Article 56
Articles 57.2 and 58Amendments to harmonize the Law on Patents with the Patent Law Treaty (PLT)
- Appointment of a representative.
- Continued processing.
- Filing date.
- Modification of technical documents.
Article 8
Articles 60.3 and 70a
Article 66(b)
Article 81.3
Article 86a
Article 86b
Article 86c
Article 86d
Article 86f to 86j
Article 86k
Measures to combat counterfeiting and piracy
- Scope of exclusivity right: extended to transit
- Communication of judgments
- Right to information
- Penal provisions
- Intervention of the Customs Administration
- Denunciation of illicit goods
- Request for intervention
- Detention of goods
- Sampling
- Simplified destruction procedure
- Declaration of responsibility and damages in the case of unjustified customs measures.
Article 40d
Article 40e(5), second sentence
Transposition of the decision adopted on 30 August 2003 by the WTO General Council on compulsory licensing for pharmaceutical products.
- Article 40d ('compulsory licensing for the export of pharmaceutical products') provides for the possibility of producing in Switzerland, under compulsory license, patented pharmaceutical products for export to a developing country when conditions are such as established by the WTO decision of 30 August 2003 (paragraph 1)
- Beneficiary countries (paragraph 2)
- Amount that can be produced under the license (paragraph 3)
- Identification requirement (paragraph 4)
- The Federal Council is mandated to establish the conditions for granting the license (paragraph 5)
- Remuneration
Articles 7.3, 7a to 7d, 121.1(c) and 121.2
Articles 109, 111, 127 and 129
Article 138
Articles 75, 77.5 and 145.2
Articles 59d, 61.2, 63a, 72.2, 73.4, 87 to 106a and 139
Other
- Prior right
- Private international law
- Harmonization with the PCT
- Entitlement to act of exclusive license holder
- Repeal of provisions on preliminary examinations.

Article 68: safeguarding of industrial and business secrets.
No changes.'
Traditional Knowledge: See Art. 49a, 81a & 138.

Available Texts Main text(s) Main text(s) French Loi fédérale du 25 juin 1954 sur les brevets d'invention (état le 1er septembre 2008) PDF HTML Italian Legge federale del 25 giugno 1954 sui brevetti d’invenzione (stato 1° settembre 2008) PDF HTML German Bundesgesetz vom 25. Juni 1954 über die Erfindungspatente (stand am 1. September 2008) PDF HTML
Legislation Supersedes (5 text(s)) Supersedes (5 text(s))
Federal Act of June 25, 1954, on Patents for Inventions (status as of July 1, 2008)(CH151)
Federal Act of June 25, 1954, on Patents for Inventions (status as of February 15, 2005)(CH128)
Federal Act of June 25, 1954, on Patents for Inventions (status as of October 3, 2000)(CH104)
Federal Act of June 25, 1954, on Patents for Inventions (status as of January 1, 1996)(CH078)
Federal Act of June 25, 1954, on Patents for Inventions (status as of December 17, 1976)(CH012)
 Is superseded by (4 text(s)) Is superseded by (4 text(s))
Federal Act of June 25, 1954, on Patents for Inventions (status as of April 1, 2019) (CH468)
Federal Act of June 25, 1954, on Patents for Inventions (status as of January 1, 2017) (CH365)
Federal Act of June 25, 1954, on Patents for Inventions (status as of January 1, 2012) (CH225)
Federal Act of June 25, 1954, on Patents for Inventions (status as of July 1, 2009) (CH181)
WTO Document Reference
IP/N/1/CHE/P/12
WIPO Lex No. CH170