Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) - Accessionby the United Arab Emirates Brings to 99 the Number of ContractingStates of the PCT

Geneva, December 18, 1998
Press Updates UPD/1998/45

ACCESSION BY UNITED ARAB EMIRATES BRINGS TO 99
THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTING STATES OF THE PCT

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva, announces that the United Arab Emirates deposited its instrument of accession to the PCT on December 10, 1998. The United Arab Emirates will become the 99th Contracting State of the PCT on March 10, 1999.

Consequently, in any international application filed on or after March 10, 1999, the United Arab Emirates (country code: AE) may be designated and, because it is bound by Chapter II of the PCT, may also be elected for the purposes of international preliminary examination. Furthermore, nationals and residents of the United Arab Emirates will be entitled from March 10, 1999, to file international applications under the PCT.

Detailed information on the advantages of the PCT for inventors and industry can be obtained from WIPO, in Geneva.

The PCT is a system which offers inventors and industry an advantageous route for obtaining patent protection worldwide. The present 99 Contracting States of the PCT are the following:

Albania

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Benin

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazil

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Canada

Central African Republic

Chad

China

Congo

Côte d'Ivoire

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Gabon

Gambia

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Greece

Grenada

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kyrgyzstan

Latvia

Lesotho

Liberia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mexico

Monaco

Mongolia

Netherlands

New Zealand

Niger

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Republic of Korea

Republic of Moldova

Romania

Russian Federation

Saint Lucia

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Swaziland

Sweden

Switzerland

Tajikistan

The former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Togo

Trinidad and Tobago

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates (from March 10, 1999)

United Kingdom

United States of America

Uzbekistan

Viet Nam

Yugoslavia

Zimbabwe

For more detailed information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section:

Tel: (+41 22) 338 92 46
Fax: (+41 22) 338 88 10
E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int

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