Patent Cooperation Treaty Update


                            Accession by the Gambia

The United States Patent and Trademark Office received notification from
the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that the Gambia
deposited its instrument of accession to the PCT on Sept. 9, 1997. The
Gambia will become a Contracting State of the PCT on Dec. 9, 1997.
Consequently, nationals and residents of the Gambia are entitled to file
international applications under the PCT on and after Dec. 9, 1997, and
from the same date it is possible to file international applications
designating and electing the Gambia (country code: GM).
Since the Gambia is a party to the Harare Protocol within the
framework of the African Regional Industrial Property Organization
(ARIPO), the Gambia will be able to be designated for a patent granted
by ARIPO. As of Dec. 9, 1997, any designation in an international
application for an ARIPO patent will automatically include the
designation of the Gambia for that purpose.

                          Accession by Guinea-Bissau

The United States Patent and Trademark Office received notification from
the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that Guinea-Bissau
deposited its instrument of accession to the PCT on Sept. 12, 1997.
Guinea-Bissau will become a Contracting State of the PCT on Dec. 12,
1997. Consequently, nationals and residents of Guinea-Bissau are
entitled to file international applications under the PCT on and after
Dec. 12, 1997, and from the same date it is possible to file
international applications designating and electing Guinea-Bissau
(country code: GW).

                        Listing of PCT Member Countries

                                     Date of Deposit       Entry into
Country               Instrument     of Instrument         Force1

(1) Central African   Accession      15 September 1971     24 January 1978
Republic2
(2) Senegal2          Ratification   08 March 1972         24 January 1978
(3) Madagascar        Ratification   27 March 1972         24 January 1978
(4) Malawi5           Accession      16 May 1972           24 January 1978
(5) Cameroon2         Accession      15 March 1973         24 January 1978
(6) Chad2             Accession      12 February 1974      24 January 1978
(7) Togo2             Ratification   28 January 1975       24 January 1978
(8) Gabon2            Accession      06 March 1975         24 January 1978
(9) United States     Ratification   26 November 1975      24 January 1978
of America
(10) Germany3         Ratification   19 July 1976          24 January 1978
(11) Congo2           Accession      08 August 1977        24 January 1978
(12) Switzerland3     Ratification   14 September 1977     24 January 1978
(13) United Kingdom3  Ratification   24 October 1977       24 January 1978
(14) France3          Ratification   25 November 1977      25 February 1978
(15) Russian          Ratification   29 December 1977      29 March 1978
Federation6
(16) Brazil           Ratification   09 January 1978       09 April 1978
(17) Luxembourg3      Ratification   31 January 1978       30 April 1978
(18) Sweden3          Ratification   17 February 1978      17 May 1978
(19) Japan            Ratification   01 July 1978          01 October 1978
(20) Denmark3         Ratification   01 September 1978     01 December 1978
(21) Austria3         Ratification   23 January 1979       23 April 1979
(22) Monaco3          Ratification   22 March 1979         22 June 1979
(23) Netherlands3     Ratification   10 April 1979         10 July 1979
(24) Romania          Ratification   23 April 1979         23 July 1979
(25) Norway           Ratification   01 October 1979       01 January 1980
(26) Liechtenstein3   Accession      19 December 1979      19 March 1980
(27) Australia        Accession      31 December 1979      31 March 1980
(28) Hungary          Ratification   27 March 1980         27 June 1980
(29) Democratic       Accession      08 April 1980         08 July 1980
People's Republic of
Korea (North Korea)
(30) Finland          Ratification   01 July 1980          01 October 1980
(31) Belgium3         Ratification   14 September 1981     14 December 1981
(32) Sri Lanka        Accession      26 November 1981      26 February 1982
(33) Mauritania2      Accession      13 January 1983       13 April 1983
(34) Sudan5           Accession      16 January 1984       16 April 1984
(35) Bulgaria         Accession      21 February 1984      21 May 1984
(36) Republic of      Accession      10 May 1984           10 August 1984
Korea (South Korea)
(37) Mali2            Accession      19 July 1984          19 October 1984
(38) Barbados         Accession      12 December 1984      12 March 1985
(39) Italy3           Ratification   28 December 1984      28 March 1985
(40) Benin2           Accession      26 November 1986      26 February 1987
(41) Burkina Faso2    Accession      21 December 1988      21 March 1989
(42) Spain3           Accession      16 August 1989        16 November 1989
(43) Canada           Ratification   02 October 1989       02 January 1990
(44) Greece3          Accession      09 July 1990          09 October 1990
(45) Poland           Accession      25 September 1990     25 December 1990
(46) Cote d'Ivoire2   Ratification   31 January 1991       30 April 1991
(47) Guinea2          Accession      27 February 1991      27 May 1991
(48) Mongolia         Accession      27 February 1991      27 May 1991
(49) Czech Republic   Declaration4   18 December 1992      01 January 1993
(50) Ireland3         Ratification   01 May 1992           01 August 1992
(51) Portugal3        Accession      24 August 1992        24 November 1992
(52) New Zealand      Accession      01 September 1992     01 December 1992
(53) Ukraine          Declaration4   21 September 1992     25 December 1991
(54) Viet Nam         Accession      10 December 1992      10 March 1993
(55) Slovakia         Declaration4   30 December 1992      01 January 1993
(56) Niger2           Accession      21 December 1992      21 March 1993
(57) Kazakstan6       Declaration4   16 February 1993      25 December 1991
(58) Belarus6         Declaration4   14 April 1993         25 December 1991
(59) Latvia           Accession      07 June 1993          07 September 1993
(60) Uzbekistan       Declaration4   18 August 1993        25 December 1991
(61) China            Accession      01 October 1993       01 January 1994
(62) Slovenia         Accession      01 December 1993      01 March 1994
(63) Trinidad and     Accession      10 December 1993      10 March 1994
Tobago
(64) Georgia          Declaration4   18 January 1994       25 December 1991
(65) Kyrgyzstan6      Declaration4   14 February 1994      25 December 1991
(66) Republic of      Declaration4   14 February 1994      25 December 1991
Moldova6
(67) Tajikistan       Declaration4   14 February 1994      25 December 1991
(68) Kenya5           Accession      08 March 1994         08 June 1994
(69) Lithuania        Accession      05 April 1994         05 July 1994
(70) Armenia6         Declaration4   17 May 1994           25 December 1991
(71) Estonia          Accession      24 May 1994           24 August 1994
(72) Liberia          Accession      27 May 1994           27 August 1994
(73) Swaziland5       Accession      20 June 1994          20 September 1994
(74) Mexico           Accession      01 October 1994       01 January 1995
(75) Uganda5          Accession      09 November 1994      09 February 1995
(76) Singapore        Accession      23 November 1994      23 February 1995
(77) Iceland          Accession      23 December 1994      23 March 1995
(78) Turkmenistan6    Declaration4   01 March 1995         25 December 1991
(79) The former       Accession      10 May 1995           10 August 1995
Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia
(80) Albania          Accession      04 July 1995          04 October 1995
(81) Lesotho5         Accession      21 July 1995          21 October 1995
(82) Azerbaijan6      Accession      25 September 1995     25 December 1995
(83) Turkey           Accession      01 October 1995       01 January 1996
(84) Israel           Ratification   01 March 1996         01 June 1996
(85) Cuba             Accession      16 April 1996         16 July 1996
(86) Saint Lucia      Accession      30 May 1996           30 August 1996
(87) Bosnia and       Accession      7 June 1996           7 September 1996
Herzegovina
(88) Federal          Ratification   01 November 1996      01 February 1997
Republic of
Yugoslavia7
(89) Ghana5           Accession      26 November 1996      26 February 1997
(90) Zimbabwe5        Accession      11 March 1997         11 June 1997
(91) Sierra Leone     Accession      17 March 1997         17 June 1997
(92) Indonesia        Accession      05 June 1997          05 September 1997
(93) Gambia5          Accession      09 September 1997     09 December 1997
(94) Guinea-Bissau    Accession      12 September 1997     12 December 1997

1 Although the PCT entered into force on January 24, 1978, the Assembly
of the PCT Union fixed June 1, 1978, as the date from which
international applications could be filed and demands for international
preliminary examination could be submitted.

2 Member of African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) regional
patent system.

3 Member of European Patent Convention (EPC) regional patent system.

4 Declaration of continued application.

5 Member of African Regional Industrial Property Organization (ARIPO)
regional patent system.

6 Member of Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO) regional patent system.

7 The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is comprised of the Republics of
Serbia and Montenegro. The World Intellectual Property Organization has
utilized the two-letter code "YU" to refer to the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia becoming a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The United
States understands that the scope of the territory covered by the
designation encompasses only the Republics of Serbia and Montenegro.


November 10, 1997                                           BRUCE A. LEHMAN
                                        Assistant Secretary of Commerce and
                                     Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks