Budapest Notification No. 299
Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure

Communication by the Kingdom of Belgium Regarding Changes in the Addresses, in the Texts concerning the Kinds of Microorganisms accepted for deposit and in the Schedule of Fees of the Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms (BCCM)

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and has the honor to notify the receipt on May 7, 2014, of a communication of the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium, dated April 25, 2014, regarding changes in the addresses, in the texts concerning the kinds of microorganisms accepted for deposit and in the schedule of fees of the Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms (BCCM), an international depositary authority under the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure, done at Budapest on April 28, 1977, and amended on September 26, 1980 (see Budapest Notification No. 104 of February 12, 1992).

According to Rule 12.2(c) of the Regulations under the Budapest Treaty, the fees set forth in the said communication, with the exception of those related to arbuscular mycorrhizal funghi, shall take effect on July 18, 2014, that is, on the thirtieth day following the publication of the changes by the International Bureau.

June 18, 2014

Text of the communication by the Kingdom of Belgium Regarding Changes in the Addresses, in the Texts Concerning the Kinds of Microorganisms Accepted for Deposits as well as in the Schedule of Fees of the Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms (BCCM)

[Original: English]

COMMUNICATION

The consortium of the Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms, BCCM is the International Depositary Authority for which the Belgian State has furnished the necessary assurances as specified in Article 6(2) of the Budapest Treaty.

Further to the contacts between the World Intellectual Property Organization and some of the members of the BCCM, the BCCM consortium has updated and clarified its procedures and prices for patent deposits.

These changes are included in the attached communication and concern:

- the addresses,
- the kinds of microorganisms accepted for deposit,
- the schedule of fees.

The Belgian Government still assures that the BCCM consortium operates as International Depositary Authority in optimal conditions.

ANNEX

BELGIAN COORDINATED COLLECTIONS OF MICROORGANISMS (BCCM^TM)

BCCM^TM is a consortium of complementary service collections. The headquarters and the component collections that accept deposits under the Budapest Treaty are listed hereunder. All applications and/or deposits are to be addressed directly to the appropriate BCCM^TM collection.

The Quality Management System of the BCCM^TM consortium has been certified according to the ISO 9001 standard for, among others, the following activities: "Accession, control, preservation, storage and supply of biological material and related information in the frame of public deposits, safe deposits and patent deposits under the Budapest Treaty".

BCCM Coordination Cell
Federal Public Planning Service Science Policy
231, avenue Louise
1050 Brussels

Telephone: (32-2) 238 36 07
Facsimile: (32-2) 230 59 12
E-mail: bccm.coordination@belspo.be
Internet: http://bccm.belspo.be/index.php

Collections

BCCM/IHEM Biomedical fungi and yeasts collection
Scientific Institute of Public Health
Service Mycology and Aerobiology
Rue J. Wytsmanstraat, 14
1050 Brussels

Telephone: (32-2) 642 55 18
Facsimile: (32-2) 642 55 19
E-mail: bccm.ihem@wiv-isp.be

BCCM/LMBP Plasmid and DNA Library collection
Universiteit Gent
Vakgroep Biomedische Moleculaire Biologie
Technologiepark, 927
9052 Zwijnaarde

Telephone: (32-9) 331 38 43
Facsimile: (32-9) 331 35 04
E-mail: bccm.lmbp@dmbr.UGent.be

BCCM/LMG Bacteria collection
Universiteit Gent
Laboratorium voor Microbiologie
K.L. Ledeganckstraat, 35
9000 Gent

Telephone: (32-9) 264 51 08
Facsimile: (32-9) 264 53 46
E-mail: bccm.lmg@UGent.be

BCCM/MUCL Agro-industrial fungi, yeasts and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi collection
Université catholique de Louvain
Mycothèque de l'Université catholique de Louvain
Croix du Sud, 3 – box L7.05.06
1348 Louvain-La-Neuve

Telephone: (32-10) 47 37 42
Facsimile: (32-10) 45 15 01
E-mail: bccm.mucl@uclouvain.be

Kinds of Microorganisms that May Be Deposited

BCCM/IHEM: filamentous fungi and yeasts, including pathogenic fungi and yeasts that cause mycosis in man and animals, and actinomycetes.

BCCM/LMBP: genetic material, recombinant or not, cloned in a host or as isolated material (e.g. plasmids); natural or genetically modified human and animal cell lines, including hybridomas. Deposits of genetically modified microorganisms should not exceed containment level 2 as defined by the EU directive 2009/41/EC and its updates concerning the contained use of genetically modified organisms.

BCCM/LMG: bacteria, including actinomycetes, but excepting pathogens belonging to a hazard group higher than Risk group 2 according to the EU directive 2000/54/EC and its updates.

BCCM/MUCL: filamentous fungi, yeasts and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, including plant pathogens, but excluding pathogenic fungi causing mycosis in man and animals belonging to a hazard group higher than Risk group 2 according to the EU directive 2000/54/EC and its updates.

As a general rule, the BCCM^TM collections accept only strains that can be cultured and preserved under conditions technically feasible for the collection concerned and that can be conserved, other than in continuous vegetative activity, without inducing significant changes in their characteristics.

Exceptionally, the various BCCM^TM collections may accept deposits of microorganisms that cannot be conserved other than by active culture. Acceptance as well as the costs of such a deposit will be negotiated case by case with the potential depositor. Exceptionally and following the same case-by-case negotiation procedure, they may also accept deposits of mixtures of microorganisms.

The BCCM^TM collections also reserve their right to refuse a deposit of biological material whose manipulation or conservation involves hazards deemed to be excessive, or if they receive the material in a bad condition.

Schedule of Fees

Fees do not include VAT, transport costs or bank fees.

[1] In case the recommended host strain is not available at BCCM/LMBP, the depositor is encouraged to deposit a plasmid-carrying culture. If this is not possible and the host has to be furnished by the depositor, a one-off fee of 160.00 euros for this host strain will be charged for quality control tests at the time of deposit (purity, viability), batch preparation, cryopreservation, safekeeping at -80°C for min. 30 years, administration.