Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): Accessionby Morocco Brings to 104 the Number of Contracting States of the PCT

Geneva, July 19, 1999
Press Updates UPD/1999/66

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva, announces that Morocco deposited its instrument of accession to the PCT on July 8, 1999, and will become bound by the PCT on October 8, 1999. Morocco becomes the 104th Contracting State of the PCT.

Consequently, in any international application filed on or after October 8, 1999, Morocco (country code: MA) may be designated and, because it will be bound by Chapter II of the PCT, may also be elected for the purposes of international preliminary examination. Furthermore, nationals and residents of Morocco will be entitled from October 8, 1999, to file international applications under the PCT.

The PCT is a system which offers inventors and industry an advantageous route for obtaining patent protection worldwide. The present 104 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

Costa Rica (from August 3, 1999)

Côte d'Ivoire

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Denmark

Dominica (from August 7, 1999)

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

Morocco (from October 8, 1999)

Netherlands

New Zealand

Niger

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Republic of Korea

Republic of Moldova

Romania

Russian Federation

Saint Lucia

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

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

United Kingdom

United Republic of Tanzania (from September 14, 1999)

United States of America

Uzbekistan

Viet Nam

Yugoslavia

Zimbabwe

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

Telephone: (+41 22) 338 81 61
Fax: (+41 22) 338 88 10
E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int