Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure

Adopted in 1977, the Budapest Treaty concerns a specific topic in the international patent process: microorganisms.

All states party to the Treaty are obliged to recognize microorganisms deposited as a part of the patent procedure, irrespective of where the depository authority is located.

In practice this means that the requirement to submit microorganisms to each and every national authority in which patent protection is sought no longer exists.

Members

• Contracting parties
• Members of the Budapest Union Assembly
• International depositary authorities (IDAs)
  - List of IDAs
  - Information on Kinds of Microorganisms Accepted and Amount of Fees Charged by IDAs

Additional information

• Summary of the Budapest Treaty
• Guide to the Deposit of Microorganisms under the Budapest Treaty
• Note by the Secretariat on the Budapest Treaty (WO/INF/12)
• Budapest System website
• Treaty Preparatory Documents