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 him that at the expiration of the required period (that is, on December 31, 1977) the following States had signed the Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks of June 15, 1957, as revised at Stockholm on July 14, 1967, and at Geneva on May 13, 1977:
- Finland, France, Germany (Federal Republic of), Hungary, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Soviet Union, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States of America, on May 13, 1977;
- Sweden, on October 3, 1977; Belgium, on October 11, 1977; Morocco, on October 28, 1977; Norway, on November 14, 1977; German Democratic Republic, on November 24, 1977; Luxembourg, on December 1, 1977; Australia, on December 21, 1977; Ireland, on December 29, 1977; Austria, on December 30, 1977.
(Total: 23 States)
When affixing their signatures, the Plenipotentiaries of two Governments made the following declarations:
German Democratic Republic:
"The position of the German Democratic Republic on the provisions of Article 13 of the Nice Agreement as revised at Geneva, so far as the application of the Agreement to colonial and other dependent territories is concerned, is governed by the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (Resolution 1514 (XV) of December 14, 1960) proclaiming the necessity of bringing to a speedy and unconditional end colonialism in all its forms and manifestations." (Translation)
Soviet Union:
"The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics considers it necessary to declare that the provisions of Article 13 of the Agreement providing for the possibility of its application to colonies and dependent territories is in contradiction with Resolution 1514 (XV) of December 14, 1960, of the General Assembly of the United Nations." (Translation)
In accordance with the provisions of Article 9(1) of the Geneva Act (1977) of the Nice Agreement, that Act may be ratified by any of the signatory States listed above. The said Act may be acceded to by any State member of the Nice Union which has not signed it or by any State outside the Nice Union which is party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
Instruments of ratification or accession must be deposited with the Director General of WIPO.
The date of entry into force of the said Geneva Act (1977) will be notified when the required number of ratifications or accessions is reached in accordance with Article 9(4) of the said Act.
January 11, 1978