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 July 26, 2024, of a communication from the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium dated July 26, 2024, relating to changes in the acronym of its name, addresses, technical and administrative requirements and procedures as well as in the schedule of fees charged by 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 (Budapest Treaty), 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 new fees set forth in the communication shall take effect on October 9, 2024, that is, on the thirtieth day following the publication of the changes by the International Bureau.
The new fees schedule is indicated in the Attachment.
In the communication, the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium assures that the BCCM consortium operates as International Depositary Authority in optimal conditions.
September 9, 2024
1. Change in the Name
The acronym of the "Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms" is BCCM (and not BCCM™).
2. Changes in the Addresses
The BCCM no longer use facsimile to be in contact with depositors.
Other minor changes in the addresses of the headquarters and collections are indicated in bold hereunder:
Headquarters
BCCM Coordination Cell
Federal Public Planning Service Science Policy
Boulevard Simon Bolivar 30, box 7
1000 Brussels
Telephone: (32-2) 238 36 07
E-mail: bccm.coordination@belspo.be
Internet: https://bccm.belspo.be/
Collections
BCCM/GeneCorner Plasmid Collection
Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology
Ghent University
Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde, 71
9052 Gent
Telephone: (32-9) 331 38 43
E-mail: bccm.genecorner@UGent.be
BCCM/MUCL Agro-food and Environmental Fungal Collection
Mycothèque de l'Université catholique de Louvain
Earth and Life Institute (ELI) – Applied Microbiology (ELIM)
Laboratory of Mycology
Croix du Sud, 2 – box L7.05.06
1348 Louvain-La-Neuve
Telephone: (32-10) 47 37 42
E-mail: bccm-mucl@uclouvain.be
Except the deletion of their fax numbers, there are no changes in the addresses of the other BCCM collections.
3. Changes in the Technical and Administrative Requirements and Procedures
Technical Requirements and Procedures
i. Form and Quantity
For bacteria and actinomycetes:
The depositor must supply at least 3 ampoules of freeze-dried cells of the same batch.
In case the depositor is not able to provide the microorganism under freeze-dried form, he must supply 3 "vials" of frozen cultures, or 3 active cultures, each of the same batch.
The freeze-dried cells of one or more ampoules or the frozen cells of one or more vials, or one or more of the active cultures will be subjected to a viability test and subsequently serve for the preparation of a stock of 6 samples of cryopreserved cells. BCCM will prepare a batch of 15 samples of freeze-dried cells for an additional fee.
For plasmids as isolated material:
Samples must be supplied in aqueous solution or freeze-dried or frozen form or precipitated in alcohol. A minimum of 2 x 20 micrograms must be furnished.
The plasmid DNA must have a sufficient degree of purity to ensure successful transformation. The recommended bacterial host strain must be stated and - if not available at the depositary - also be furnished without the plasmid concerned. In the latter case, the storage of the appropriate host strain for the period of at least 30 years will be charged separately.
Human and animal cells, hybridomas:
The animal and human cell cultures or hybridomas must be checked for contaminants before submitting the mass frozen cultures (containing at least 4 x 106 viable cells/vial). BCCM/GeneCorner may refuse the deposit when cultures are thawed upon arrival. At least 12 samples of the same batch must be supplied in well-sealed 1-2 ml cryotubes of ± 12 mm diameter, clearly and durably marked with a printed label. One or more samples will be subjected to a viability test, which includes testing for mycoplasma contamination and bacterial contamination.
There are no changes for the other types of microorganisms that the BCCM collections accept.
ii. Time required for Viability Testing
The minimum periods required by BCCM to test the viability of various types of microorganisms are as follows (however, depositors should be aware that the viability test may take longer for certain types of microorganisms):
| Bacteria | ± 1 week | |
| Filamentous fungi | ± 1 week | |
| Yeasts | 2 days | |
| Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi | ± 4 months | |
| Plasmids [1] | ± 1 week | |
| Human and animal cell cultures, hybridomas[2] | ± 3 weeks | |
| Other genetic material | Contact BCCM |
Administrative Requirements and Procedures
BCCM will no longer send the form BCCM/acron/DBT2 to the depositor to remind him that he is bound by the DBT1 contract.
4. Changes in the Schedule of Fees
| Price (EUR) | |||
| 1) For cultures of bacteria, yeasts, filamentous fungi, including actinomycetes | |||
| (a) Storage | 750 | ||
| (b) Preparation of a batch of freeze-dried samples for long-term storage (bacteria only) | 300 | ||
| (c) Issuance of a viability statement: | |||
| - When a viability test is carried out | 100 | ||
| - Based on the last viability test | 50 | ||
| (d) Furnishing of a sample | 130 | ||
| (e) Communication of information | 50 | ||
| (f) Issuance of an attestation | 50 | ||
| (g) Prolongation of the patent deposit contract at the request of the depositor (without viability test) | 50/year | ||
| 2) For arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi | |||
| (a) Storage | 1,600 | ||
| (b) Preparation of a batch of reserved samples for long term storage (if applicable, depending on the species of AMF deposited) | 600 | ||
| (c) Issuance of a viability statement: | |||
| - When a viability test is carried out | 575 | ||
| - Based on the last viability test | 50 | ||
| (d) Furnishing of a sample | 125 | ||
| (e) Communication of information | 50 | ||
| (f) Issuance of an attestation | 50 | ||
| (g) Prolongation of the patent deposit contract at the request of the depositor (without viability test) | 100/year | ||
| 3) For plasmids | |||
| (a) Storage [3] | 750 | ||
| (b) Issuance of a viability statement: | |||
| - When a viability test is carried out | 100 | ||
| - Based on the last viability test | 50 | ||
| (c) Furnishing of a sample | 130 | ||
| (d) Communication of information | 50 | ||
| (e) Issuance of an attestation | 50 | ||
| (f) Prolongation of the patent deposit contract at the request of the depositor (without viability test) | 50/year | ||
| 4) For human cells, animal cells and hybridomas | |||
| (a) Storage | 1,560 | ||
| (b) Issuance of a viability statement: | |||
| - When a viability test is carried out | 150 | ||
| - Based on the last viability test | 50 | ||
| (c) Furnishing of a sample | 130 | ||
| (d) Communication of information | 50 | ||
| (e) Issuance of an attestation | 50 | ||
| (f) Prolongation of the patent deposit contract at the request of the depositor (without viability test) | 100/year | ||
| 5) For other genetic material | |||
| Price offer on request at BCCM/GeneCorner. | |||
Fees do not include VAT, transport costs or bank fees.
The new fees shall apply as from the thirtieth day following the publication of the change by the International Bureau.
5. Guidance for Depositors on the BCCM website
The depositor can obtain the necessary forms for the deposit from the BCCM website https://bccm.belspo.be/deposit-patent.
[1] The "viability test" includes the preparation of plasmid DNA and restriction enzyme analysis by gel electrophoresis. For genetic material deposited as isolated material, the "viability test" obviously implies the transformation of the suitable host first. If the theoretically expected fragments can be experimentally confirmed, the "viability test" is deemed positive.
[2] The "viability test" includes testing for mycoplasma contamination and bacterial contamination.
[3] In case the recommended host strain is not available at BCCM/GeneCorner, 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, the host strain will be charged as an additional patent deposit. These charges will cover quality control tests at the time of deposit (purity, viability), batch preparation, cryopreservation, safekeeping at -80°C for min. 30 years, administration.