Appendix IX 
WIPO 
BP/ PCD /2 • Rev. 
ORIGINAL : English 
DATE: June 15, 1977 
WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION 
GENEVA 
BUDAPEST TREATY 
ON THE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF 
THE DEPOSIT OF MICROORGANISMS FOR THE PURPOSES OF PATENT PROCEDURE 
Documents Issued after the Diplomatic Conference 
held in Budapest from April 14 to 28, 1977 
SUMMARY AND MAIN ADVANTAGES 
OF THE BUDAPEST TREATY 
Memorandum prepared by the International Bureau 
Background 
1. Disclosure of the invention is a generally recognized requirement for the 
grant of patents. Normally, an invention is disclosed by means of a written 
description. Where an invention involves a microorganism, or the use of a 
microorganism, which is not available to the public, such a description is 
not sufficient for disclosure. That is why in the patent procedure of an 
increasing number of countries it is necessary not only to file a written 
description but also to deposit, with a specialized institution, a sample of the 
microorganism. Patent offices are not equipped to handle microorganisms, 
whose preservation requires special expertise and equipment to keep tnem viable, 
to protect them from contamination and to protect health or the environment 
from contamination. Such preservation is costly. The furnishing of samples 
also requires specialized expertise and equipment. 
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