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

June 24, 2021

A Webinar on the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure was organized virtually on June 10, 2021.

The Webinar focused essentially on questions relating to the Budapest Treaty:

What is the Budapest Treaty?
What benefits does the Budapest Treaty offer?
What are the motivations and challenges for a country that has acceded to the Budapest Treaty?

The Webinar on the Budapest Treaty was attended by Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam. It provided an opportunity for the participants to increase their understanding of the Budapest Treaty and how it may facilitate the disclosure of biotech inventions.

In particular, it was recalled that one of the main features of the Budapest Treaty is that a Contracting State requiring the deposit of a microorganism for the purposes of patent procedure must recognize the deposit of a microorganism with any International Depositary Authority (IDA) irrespective of whether such authority is on or outside the territory of the State. It eliminates the need, for an applicant, to submit a microorganism to each and every national authority in which a patent protection is sought, thus reducing the costs and saving time.

Participants to the Webinar also benefitted from the experience of representatives from Viet Nam and New Zealand, two Member States that have already acceded to the Treaty, and who shared their journey to the accession to the Treaty as well as the benefits the accession brought to the business, the Intellectual Property Office and the stakeholders.