Strasbourg Notification No. 17
Strasbourg Agreement Concerning the International Patent Classification

Entry into Force

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and, pursuant to the provisions of Article 16(5) of the Strasbourg Agreement Concerning the International Patent Classification of March 24, 1971, has the honor to notify him that, in accordance with the provisions of Article 13(1)(a) thereof, the said Agreement will enter into force on

that is, one year after the requisite instruments of ratification or accession were deposited.

In this connection, it is recalled that instruments of ratification or accession relating to the said Agreement were deposited:

As the number of countries party to the European Convention on the International Classification of Patents for Invention, of December 19, 1954, was fifteen on the date on which the said Agreement was opened for signature, and as ten of the said countries, namely, the Kingdom of Denmark, the French Republic, Germany (Federal Republic of), Ireland, the State of Israel, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Swiss Confederation, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, deposited instruments of ratification or accession, the requirement of Article 13(1)(a)(i) of the said Agreement has been fulfilled.

Further, as three countries party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property which were not previously party to the said European Convention, namely, the Republic of Austria, the Federative Republic of Brazil, and the United States of America, deposited instruments of ratification, and of which at least one, namely, the United States of America, is a country where, according to the most recent annual statistics published by the International Bureau of WIPO on the date of deposit of its instrument of ratification, more than 40,000 applications for patents has been filed, the requirement of Article 13(1)(a)(ii) of the said Agreement has been fulfilled.

Consequently, in accordance with Article 13(1)(a), the said Agreement will enter into force on October 7, 1975, with respect to the thirteen States referred to above which deposited instruments of ratification or accession relating to the said Agreement.

In addition, it is recalled that, pursuant to the provisions of Article 4(4) of the said Agreement, the following countries made reservations on the use of the International Patent Classification: the French Republic, Ireland, the Kingdom of Norway, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

October 16, 1974