MPEP Section 1817, PCT Member States

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This document contains Section 1817 ("PCT Member States") of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (the "M.P.E.P."), Eighth Edition, Eighth Revision (July 2010). This page was last updated in January 2011. You may return to the section index to find a particular section. Alternatively, you may search the MPEP using the search box that appears on the left side of every page of BitLaw--you may restrict your search to the MPEP on the search results page.

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1817 PCT Member States [R-7]

An updated list of PCT Contracting States is available from WIPO's web site (www.wipo.int/pct/guide/en/gdvol1/annexes/annexa/ax_a.pdf). The following list of PCT Contracting States was updated at the time of publication of the MPEP:

State	Ratification, Accession or Declaration	Date of Ratification, Accession or Declaration	Date From Which State May Be Designated
(1) Central African Republic°	Accession	15 September 1971	01 June 1978
(2) Senegal°	Ratification	08 March 1972	01 June 1978
(3) Madagascar	Ratification	27 March 1972	01 June 1978
(4) Malawi	Accession	16 May 1972	01 June 1978
(5) Cameroon°	Accession	15 March 1973	01 June 1978
(6) Chad°	Accession	12 February 1974	01 June 1978
(7) Togo°	Ratification	28 January 1975	01 June 1978
(8) Gabon°	Accession	06 March 1975	01 June 1978
(9) United States of America	Ratification	26 November 1975	01 June 1978
(10) Germany°°	Ratification	19 July 1976	01 June 1978
(11) Congo°	Accession	08 August 1977	01 June 1978
(12) Switzerland°°	Ratification	14 September 1977	01 June 1978
(13) United Kingdom°°	Ratification	24 October 1977	01 June 1978
(14) France°°	Ratification	25 November 1977	01 June 1978
(15) Russian Federation	Ratification	29 December 1977	01 June 1978
(16) Brazil	Ratification	09 January 1978	01 June 1978
(17) Luxembourg°°	Ratification	31 January 1978	01 June 1978
(18) Sweden°°	Ratification	17 February 1978	01 June 1978
(19) Japan	Ratification	01 July 1978	01 October 1978
(20) Denmark°°	Ratification	01 September 1978	01 December 1978
(21) Austria°°	Ratification	23 January 1979	23 April 1979
(22) Monaco°°	Ratification	22 March 1979	22 June 1979
(23) Netherlands°°	Ratification	10 April 1979	10 July 1979
(24) Romania °°	Ratification	23 April 1979	23 July 1979
(25) Norway > °° <	Ratification	01 October 1979	01 January 1980
(26) Liechtenstein°°	Accession	19 December 1979	19 March 1980
(27) Australia	Accession	31 December 1979	31 March 1980
(28) Hungary °°	Ratification	27 March 1980	27 June 1980
(29) Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea )	Accession	08 April 1980	08 July 1980
(30) Finland°°	Ratification	01 July 1980	01 October 1980
(31) Belgium°°	Ratification	14 September 1981	14 December 1981
(32) Sri Lanka	Accession	26 November 1981	26 February 1982
(33) Mauritania°	Accession	13 January 1983	13 April 1983
(34) Sudan	Accession	16 January 1984	16 April 1984
(35) Bulgaria °°	Accession	21 February 1984	21 May 1984
(36) Republic of Korea (South Korea)	Accession	10 May 1984	10 August 1984
(37) Mali°	Accession	19 July 1984	19 October 1984
(38) Barbados	Accession	12 December 1984	12 March 1985
(39) Italy°°	Ratification	28 December 1984	28 March 1985
(40) Benin°	Accession	26 November 1986	26 February 1987
(41) Burkina Faso°	Accession	21 December 1988	21 March 1989
(42) Spain°°	Accession	16 August 1989	16 November 1989
(43) Canada	Ratification	02 October 1989	02 January 1990
(44) Greece°°	Accession	09 July 1990	09 October 1990
(45) Poland°°	Accession	25 September 1990	25 December 1990
(46) Côte d'Ivoire°	Ratification	31 January 1991	30 April 1991
(47) Guinea°	Accession	27 February 1991	27 May 1991
(48) Mongolia	Accession	27 February 1991	27 May 1991
(49) Czech Republic °°	Declaration	18 December 1992	01 January 1993
(50) Ireland°°	Ratification	01 May 1992	01 August 1992
(51) Portugal°°	Accession	24 August 1992	24 November 1992
(52 ) New Zealand	Accession	01 September 1992	01 December 1992
(53) Ukraine	Declaration	21 September 1992	25 December 1991
(54) Viet Nam	Accession	10 December 1992	10 March 1993
(55) Slovakia °°	Declaration	30 December 1992	01 January 1993
(56) Niger°	Accession	21 December 1992	21 March 1993
(57) Kazakhstan	Declaration	16 February 1993	25 December 1991
(58) Belarus	Declaration	14 April 1993	25 December 1991
(59) Latvia °°	Accession	07 June 1993	07 September 1993
(60) Uzbekistan	Declaration	18 August 1993	25 December 1991
(61) China	Accession	01 October 1993	01 January 1994
(62) Slovenia °°	Accession	01 December 1993	01 March 1994
(63) Trinidad and Tobago	Accession	10 December 1993	10 March 1994
(64) Georgia	Declaration	18 January 1994	25 December 1991
(65) Kyrgyzstan	Declaration	14 February 1994	25 December 1991
(66) Republic of Moldova	Declaration	14 February 1994	25 December 1991
(67) Tajikistan	Declaration	14 February 1994	25 December 1991
(68) Kenya	Accession	08 March 1994	08 June 1994
(69) Lithuania °°	Accession	05 April 1994	05 July 1994
(70) Armenia	Declaration	17 May 1994	25 December 1991
(71) Estonia °°	Accession	24 May 1994	24 August 1994
(72) Liberia	Accession	27 May 1994	27 August 1994
(73) Swaziland	Accession	20 June 1994	20 September 1994
(74) Mexico	Accession	01 October 1994	01 January 1995
(75) Uganda	Accession	09 November 1994	09 February 1995
(76) Singapore	Accession	23 November 1994	23 February 1995
(77) Iceland °°	Accession	23 December 1994	23 March 1995
(78) Turkmenistan	Declaration	01 March 1995	25 December 1991
(79) The former Yugoslov Republic of Macedonia	Accession	10 May 1995	10 August 1995
(80) Albania	Accession	04 July 1995	04 October 1995
(81) Lesotho	Accession	21 July 1995	21 October 1995
(82) Azerbaijan	Accession	25 September 1995	25 December 1995
(83) Turkey°°	Accession	01 October 1995	01 January 1996
(84) Israel	Ratification	01 March 1996	01 June 1996
(85) Cuba	Accession	16 April 1996	16 July 1996
(86) Saint Lucia	Accession	30 May 1996	30 August 1996
(87) Bosnia and Herzegovina	Accession	07 June 1996	07 September 1996
(88) Serbia	Ratification	01 November 1996	01 February 1997
(89) Ghana	Accession	26 November 1996	16 February 1997
(90) Zimbabwe	Accession	11 March 1997	11 June 1997
(91) Sierra Leone	Accession	17 March 1997	17 June 1997
(92) Indonesia	Accession	05 June 1997	05 September 1997
(93) Gambia	Accession	09 September 1997	09 December 1997
(94) Guinea-Bissau°	Accession	12 September 1997	12 December 1997
(95) Cyprus°°	Accession	01 January 1998	01 April 1998
(96) Croatia > °° <	Accession	01 April 1998	01 July 1998
(97) Grenada	Accession	22 June 1998	22 September 1998
(98) India	Accession	07 September 1998	07 December 1998
(99) United Arab Emirates	Accession	10 December 1998	10 March 1999
(100) South Africa	Accession	16 December 1998	16 March 1999
(101) Costa Rica	Accession	03 May 1999	03 August 1999
(102) Dominica	Accession	07 May 1999	07 August 1999
(103) United Republic of Tanzania	Accession	14 June 1999	14 September 1999
(104) Morocco	Accession	08 July 1999	08 October 1999
(105) Algeria	Ratification	08 December 1999	08 March 2000
(106) Antigua and Barbuda	Accession	17 December 1999	17 March 2000
(107) Mozambique	Accession	18 February 2000	18 May 2000
(108) Belize	Accession	17 March 2000	17 June 2000
(109) Colombia	Accession	29 November 2000	28 February 2001
(110) Ecuador	Accession	07 February 2001	07 May 2001
(111) Equatorial Guinea°	Accession	17 April 2001	17 July 2001
(112) Philippines	Ratification	17 May 2001	17 August 2001
(113) Oman	Accession	26 July 2001	26 October 2001
(114) Zambia	Accession	15 August 2001	15 November 2001
(115) Tunisia	Accession	10 September 2001	10 December 2001
(116) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Accession	06 May 2002	06 August 2002
(117) Seychelles	Accession	07 August 2002	07 November 2002
(118) Nicaragua	Accession	06 December 2002	06 March 2003
(119) Papua New Guinea	Accession	14 March 2003	14 June 2003
(120) Syrian Arab Republic	Accession	26 March 2003	26 June 2003
(121) Egypt	Ratification	06 June 2003	06 September 2003
(122) Botswana	Accession	30 July 2003	30 October 2003
(123) Namibia	Accession	01 October 2003	01 January 2004
(124) San Marino	Accession	14 September 2004	14 December 2004
(125) Comoros	Accession	03 January 2005	03 April 2005
(126) Nigeria	Accession	08 February 2005	08 May 2005
(127) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	Accession	15 June 2005	15 September 2005
(128) Saint Kitts and Nevis	Accession	27 July 2005	27 October 2005
(129) Lao People's Democratic Republic	Accession	14 March 2006	14 June 2006
(130) Honduras	Accession	20 March 2006	20 June 2006
(131) Malaysia	Accession	16 May 2006	16 August 2006
(132) El Salvador	Accession	17 May 2006	17 August 2006
(133) Guatemala	Accession	14 July 2006	14 October 2006
(134) Malta > °° <	Accession	01 December 2006	01 March 2007
(135) Montenegro	Declaration	04 December 2006	03 June 2006
(136) Bahrain	Accession	18 December 2006	18 March 2007
**
(137) Dominican Republic	Accession	28 February 2007	28 May 2007
> (138) Angola	Accession	27 September 2007	27 December 2007
(139) Sao Tome and Principe	Accession	03 April 2008	03 July 2008 <
°Members of African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) regional patent system. Only regional patent protection is available for OAPI member states. A designation of any state is an indication that all OAPI states have been designated.
°°Members of European Patent Convention (EPC) regional patent system. Either national patents or European patents for member States are available through PCT, except for Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, and Slovenia, for which only European patents are available if the PCT is used.
The following states are members of African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) regional patent system and are Contracting States of both the Harare Protocol and the PCT: (4) Malawi, (34) Sudan, (68) Kenya, (73) Swaziland, (75) Uganda, (81) Lesotho, (89) Ghana, (90) Zimbabwe, (91) Sierra Leone, (93) Gambia, (103) United Republic of Tanzania, (107) Mozambique, (114) Zambia, (122) Botswana, and (123) Namibia. Note that with the accession of Botswana to the PCT, all 14 States party to the Harare Protocol are now also Contracting States of the PCT. State (73) Swaziland can only be designated for the purposes of an ARIPO patent and not for the purposes of a national patent. All other PCT Contracting States which are also party to the Harare Protocol can be designated either for a national or an ARIPO patent, or both a national and an ARIPO patent.
The following states are members of the Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO) regional patent system: (15) Russian Federation, (57) Kazakhstan, (58) Belarus, (65) Kyrgyzstan, (66) Republic of Moldova, (67) Tajikistan, (70) Armenia, (78) Turkmenistan, and (82) Azerbaijan. All PCT Contracting States which are also party to the Eurasian Patent Convention can be designated either for a national or a Eurasian patent, or both a national and a Eurasian patent. Note, however, that it is not possible to designate only some of these States for a Eurasian patent and that any designation of one or more States for a Eurasian patent will be treated as a designation of all the States which are party to both the Convention and the PCT for a Eurasian patent.