The Budapest System provides a practical business solution when pursuing patents involving biological material in some 80 countries through the recognition of one international recognized deposit with an international depositary authority (IDA).
Adopted in 1977, the Budapest Treaty concerns a specific topic in the international patent process: inventions involving microorganisms. All states party to the Treaty are obliged to recognize microorganisms deposited as a part of the patent disclosure procedure with an IDA, irrespective of where the depositary authority is located. In practice this means that the requirement to submit microorganisms to each and every national authority in which patent protection is sought no longer exists.
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Contracting parties to the Budapest Treaty
Contracting parties in which one or more international depositary authorities are located