United States Patent and Trademark Office OG Notices: 16 December 2003

                    Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Update

                            Accession by Namibia

   The United States Patent and Trademark Office received notification
from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that Namibia
deposited its instrument of accession to the PCT on October 1, 2003.
Namibia will become a Contracting State of the PCT on January 1, 2004.
Consequently, nationals and residents of Namibia are entitled to file
international applications under the PCT on and after January 1, 2004,
and from the same date any international applications filed will
automatically include the designation of Namibia (country code: NA).
If a demand is filed in respect of any international application filed
on or after January 1, 2004, Namibia will automatically be elected.

                       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)  Finland3          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 Korea Accession       10 May 1984       10 August 1984
      (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)  Tajikistan6       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       07 June 1996      07 September 1996
      Herzegovina
(88)  Federal Republic  Ratification    01 November 1996  01 February 1997
      of Yugoslavia7
(89)  Ghana5            Accession       26 November 1996  26 February 1997
(90)  Zimbabwe5         Accession       11 March 1997     11 June 1997
(91)  Sierra Leone5     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-Bissau2    Accession       12 September 1997 12 December 1997
(95)  Cyprus3           Accession       01 January 1998   01 April 1998
(96)  Croatia           Accession       01 April 1998     01 July 1998
(97)  Grenada           Accession       22 June 1998      22 September 1998
(98)  India             Accession       07 September 1998 07 December 1998
(99)  United Arab       Accession       10 December 1998  10 March 1999
      Emirates
(100) South Africa      Accession       16 December 1998  16 March 1999
(101) Costa Rica        Accession       03 May 1999       03 August 1999
(102) Dominica          Accession       07 May 1999       07 August 1999
(103) United Republic   Accession       14 June 1999      14 September 1999
      of Tanzania5
(104) Morocco           Accession       08 July 1999      08 October 1999
(105) Algeria           Ratification    08 December 1999  08 March 2000
(106) Antigua and       Accession       17 December 1999  17 March 2000
      Barbuda
(107) Mozambique5       Accession       18 February  2000 18 May 2000
(108) Belize            Accession       17 March  2000    17 June 2000
(109) Colombia          Accession       29 November  2000 28 February  2001
(110) Ecuador           Accession       07 February  2001 07 May  2001
(111) Equatorial        Accession       17 April 2001     17 July 2001
      Guinea2
(112) Philippines       Accession       17 May 2001       17 August 2001
(113) Oman              Accession       26 July 2001      26 October 2001
(114) Zambia5           Accession       15 August  2001   15 November 2001
(115) Tunisia           Accession       10 September 2001 10 December 2001
(116) Saint Vincent     Accession       06 May 2002       06 August 2002
      and Grenadines
(117) Seychelles        Accession       07 August 2002    07 November 2002
(118) Nicaragua         Accession       06 December 2002  06 March 2003
(119) Papua New Guinea  Accession       14 March 2003     14 June 2003
(120) Syrian Arab       Accession       26 March 2003     26 June 2003
      Republic
(121) Egypt             Ratification    06 June 2003      06 September 2003
(122) Botswana          Accession       30 July 2003      30 October 2003
(123) Namibia           Accession       01 October 2003   01 January 2004

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 World Intellectual Property Organization has utilized the  two-letter
code "YU" to refer to Serbia and Montenegro formerly the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia, becoming a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

November 20, 2003                                            JAMES E. ROGAN
                                            Under Secretary of Commerce for
                                  Intellectual Property and Director of the
                                  United States Patent and Trademark Office