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PCT: Accession to Belize Brings to 108 the Number of Contracting States of the PCT

Geneva, March 27, 2000
Press Updates UPD/2000/94

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva, announces that Belize deposited its instrument of accession to the PCT on March 17, 2000, and will become bound by the PCT on June 17, 2000. Belize becomes the 108th Contracting State of the PCT.

Consequently, in any international application filed on or after June 17, 2000, Belize (country code: BZ) 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 Belize will be entitled from June 17, 2000, 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 108 Contracting States of the PCT are the following:

Albania

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize (from
June 17, 2000)

Benin

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazil

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Canada

Central African Republic

Chad

China

Congo

Costa Rica

Côte d'Ivoire

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Denmark

Dominica

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

Mozambique (from May 18, 2000)

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

United States of America

Uzbekistan

Viet Nam

Yugoslavia

Zimbabwe

For additional information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section at WIPO: