PCT Newsletter
May 2026 | No. 05/2026
The Bahamas joins the PCT
Accession on 19 August will bring Treaty membership to 159 States
The Bahamas is set to become the 159th Contracting State of the PCT. The country deposited its instrument of accession with WIPO on 19 May 2026, and will become bound by the Treaty from 19 August.
From that date, applicants and inventors in The Bahamas will be able to file patent applications under the PCT as a means of seeking patent protection in all PCT Contracting States. And foreign innovators and companies will be able to use the PCT System to seek patent protection for their inventions in The Bahamas.
Lisa Jorgenson, WIPO’s Deputy Director General, Patents and Technology Sector, commented: “The Patent Cooperation Treaty continues to expand its global reach. The Bahamas joins a growing number of PCT members in the Caribbean – strengthening the region’s global economic integration and competitiveness. I look forward to seeing how this new development opens up opportunities for inventors and businesses, both in The Bahamas and beyond.”
Information about The Bahamas’ functioning as a PCT receiving Office and designated Office will be available soon in the PCT Applicant’s Guide (country code: BS).
| 1 | China | 73,718 | 26.7% |
| 2 | United States of America | 52,617 | 19.1% |
| 3 | Japan | 47,922 | 17.4% |
| 4 | Republic of Korea | 25,016 | 9.1% |
| 5 | Germany | 16,441 | 6.0% |
| 6 | France | 7,778 | 2.8% |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 5,809 | 2.1% |
| 8 | Switzerland | 5,012 | 1.8% |
| 9 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 4,239 | 1.5% |
| 10 | Sweden | 3,857 | 1.4% |
| 1 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd (CN) | 7,523 |
| 2 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd (KR) | 4,968 |
| 3 | Qualcomm Incorporated (US) | 3,227 |
| 4 | LG Electronics Inc. (KR) | 2,400 |
| 5 | Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CN) | 2,203 |
| 6 | Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd (JP) | 2,094 |
| 7 | LG Energy Solution, Ltd (KR) | 1,958 |
| 8 | BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd (CN) | 1,946 |
| 9 | Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd (CN) | 1,921 |
| 10 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (JP) | 1,835 |
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