RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/73
3July1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2786)
Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION: COMPILATION OFREPLIES RECEIVED
FROM MEMBERS TOTHE GENERAL QUESTION
CONCERNING PRIORITY RIGHTS
Note bytheSecretariat
1. Atthemeetings oftheCouncil forTRIPS of11to15November 1996and26to30May1997,
Members agreed, inthecontext ofthereview ofnational implementing legislation notified under
Article 63.2oftheAgreement, toprovide responses tothefollowing questions:
Trademarks
"Does yourcountry recognize arightofpriority onthebasisofanearlier trademark application
filedinanyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member?"
Patents
"Does yourcountry recognize arightofpriority onthebasis ofanearlier patent application
filedinanyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member?"
2. Thepresent document compiles thereplies received from Members.IP/C/W/73
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AUSTRALIA
Trademarks
Atpresent Australia affords priority rights onthebasisofanearlier trademark application only
tothose countries thatareincluded intheSchedule oftheRegulations totheTrade Marks Act1995.
TheSchedule includes countries thataremembers oftheParis Convention orwithwhich Australia
hasconcluded bilateral agreements concerning thepriority oftrademark applications. Australia istaking
action toextend therightofpriority fortrademarks toallWTO Members.
Patents
Atpresent Australia affords priority rights onthebasis ofanearlier patent application only
tothose countries thatareincluded intheSchedules oftheRegulations tothePatents Act1990.The
Schedules include countries thataremembers oftheParis Convention orwithwhich Australia has
concluded bilateral agreements concerning thepriority ofapplications. Australia istaking action to
extend therightofpriority toallWTO Members.
BULGARIA
Patents
Inaccordance withparagraph 2ofArticle 44oftheLawonPatents, theRepublic ofBulgaria
recognizes arightofpriority onthebasisofanearlier patent application filedinanyotherWTO Member
byanational ofaWTO Member.
CANADA
Trademarks
Initsintroductory statement during thereview ofnational implementing legislation of
11to15November 1996, thedelegation ofCanada said,interalia,thefollowing:
- "With respect toindustrial designs, inorder tocomply withtheobligations oftheParis
Convention thatareincorporated byTRIPS Article 2,theIndustrial Designs Actwas
amended to[...]allow claims topriority tobebased onapplications previously filed
inaWTO Member."
- "With respect totrademarks, inorder tocomply withtheobligations oftheParis
Convention, theTrade-marks Actwasamended to[...]allow claims topriority tobe
made bynationals ofWTO Members."
Patents
Yes,Canada recognizes arightofpriority onthebasis ofanearlier patent application filed
inanyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member.IP/C/W/73
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CZECH REPUBLIC
Trademarks
TheCzech Republic shallrecognize aright ofpriority onthebasis ofanearlier trademark
application filedinanother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member onthebasisofArticle 6,
paragraph 2oftheCzech ActonTrademarks, No.137,which isinforce since 1October 1995 and
onthebasis ofitsWTO Membership.
Patents
TheCzech Republic recognizes arightofpriority under Section 27paragraph 2oftheCzech
Patent LawNo.527/1990 Coll. ofL.,onthebasis ofanearlier patent application filedinanyother
WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member.
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES
Trademarks
AsfarasCommunity lawisconcerned, reference ismade toArticle 29,paragraph 1ofCouncil
Regulation (EC) No.40/94, asamended byCouncil Regulation (EC) No.3288/94, which reads as
follows: "Aperson whohasdulyfiledanapplication foratrademark, inorforanyState party to
theParisConvention, ortotheAgreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization, orhissuccessors
intitle,shallenjoy, forthepurpose offiling aCommunity trademark application forthesametrademark
inrespect ofgoods orservices which areidentical withorcontained within those forwhich the
application hasbeenfiled, arightofpriority during aperiod ofsixmonths from thedateoffiling of
thefirstapplication".
Patents
Yes.
Article 87.1oftheEuropean Patent Convention provides thataperson whohasfiledapatent
application inorforanyState party totheParis Convention, shallenjoy, forthepurpose offiling a
European patent application inrespect ofthesame invention, aright ofpriority during aperiod of
twelve months from thedateoffiling ofthefirstapplication.
Incases where thefirstfiling hasbeen made inaState which isnotaparty totheParis
Convention, Article 87.5oftheEuropean Patent Convention provides thatpriority rights existonly
insofar asthatState, byvirtue ofbilateral ormultilateral agreements, alsogrants, onthebasis ofa
firstfiling made attheEuropean Patent Office, arightofpriority. TheTRIPS Agreement isconsidered
tobeamultilateral agreement onthebasisofwhich therightofpriority hastobegranted. Accordingly,
theEuropean Patent Office hasalready informed countries which areMembers oftheWTO butnot
oftheParis Convention about thisinterpretation.IP/C/W/73
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AUSTRIA
Trademarks
Yes,applicants fromWTO Members mayclaim priorities fromearlier trademark applications
inanyother WTO Member under therequirements laiddown intheParis Convention.
Patents
Yes.
InAustria priority rights maybeclaimed onthebasisoftheParis Convention oronthebasis
ofinternational agreements. TheTRIPS Agreement isconsidered tobesuchamultilateral agreement
forming thebasisforthegranting ofpriority rights. Therefore Austria recognizes arightofpriority
onthebasis ofanearlier patent application filedinanyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO
Member.
BELGIUM
Trademarks
Article 3.1oftheUniform Benelux Lawspecifies: "Without prejudice tothepriority rights
setforth intheParis Convention fortheProtection ofIndustrial Property ortheMadrid Agreement
concerning theInternational Registration ofMarks, theexclusive righttoamark isacquired bythe
firstregistration ...".
IfthecountrywhosenationalwishestobenefitfrompriorityisamemberoftheParisConvention
fortheProtection ofIndustrial Property ortheMadrid Agreement, thentheanswer tothequestion
is:Yes,Belgium doesrecognize arightofpriority forsuchnationals.
AstotheBenelux LawonMarks, changes havebeenproposed bythethree Governments
(Protocol of7August 1996). Approval ofthese proposals ispending. After approval, nationals of
allWTO Members caninvoke priority rights when theyapply fora"Benelux mark".
Patents
Theanswer isyes.
Article 19,paragraph 1,subparagraph 3,ofthelawof28March 1984 provides: "arightof
priority deriving from anearlier filing made inaState notparty totheParis Convention mayonly
beclaimed, under theconditions andwitheffect equivalent tothatlaiddown inthatConvention, insofar
asthatState, byvirtue ofaninternational agreement, grants, onthebasis ofafirstfiling ofaBelgian
patent application orofaEuropean orinternational patent application designating Belgium, aright
ofpriority under conditions andhaving effects equivalent tothose under theParis Convention".
DENMARK
Trademarks
Yes.IP/C/W/73
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Patents
Yes. Section 6(2)oftheDanish Consolidated Patents ActNo.824of13September 1996
authorizes theMinister ofBusiness andIndustry tolaydown theparticulars oftherighttoclaim priority.
This mandate hasbeen used intheOrder No.77of30January 1997 Concerning Patents and
SupplementaryProtectionCertificates,section10a.Accordingtothisprovision,priorityforapplications
filedinastatewhich hasratified orhasacceded totheAgreement Establishing theWorld Trade
Organization isrecognized. Theprovision wasintroduced intheOrder Amending theOrder Concerning
Patents andSupplementary Protecttion Certificates, No.22of19January 1996.
FINLAND
Trademarks
Yes. According totheDecree amending Section 17oftheFinnish Trademarks Decree, which
wasissued on22December 1995 andentered intoforce on1January 1996, thesixmonths priority
timeisaccepted toallapplications firstfiledinaMember oftheParis Convention oraMember of
theWTO.
Patents
Yes. According totheLawamending thesection 6oftheFinnish Patents Law, which was
issued on22December 1995 andentered intoforce on1January 1996, thetwelve months period of
priority isaccepted onrequest toallapplications firstfiledinaMember oftheParis Convention or
aMember oftheWTO.
FRANCE
Trademarks
1. French courts havesolecompetence torecognize thevalidity ofapriority rightclaimed.
2. Subjecttoparagraph1above,theInstitutNationaldelaPropriétéIndustrielle(NationalIndustrial
Property Institute) would accept aclaim toaright ofpriority based onprior filing ofatrademark
application inanyWTO Member evenifitisacountry applying thetransitional period provided for
intheTRIPS Agreement.
Patents
TheNational Industrial Property Institute would accept aclaim toaright ofpriority based
onprior filing ofapatent application inanyWTO Member, evenifitisacountry availing itself of
thetransitional period.
Thisrecognition,whichpreservestherightsofthefilersconcerned,doesnotprejudgethevalidity
ofthepriority rightclaimed, amatter exclusively within thejurisdiction ofthecourts towhich itmight
bereferred.
Insofar astheStates concerned haveconcluded reciprocity agreements under which nationals
ofother WTO Members enjoy thispriority right, French nationals would likewise enjoy itthrough
theoperation ofthemost-favoured-nation clause (Article 4oftheTRIPS Agreement). TheconditionIP/C/W/73
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ofreciprocity provided forbytheIntellectual Property Code would thusbefulfilled andtherightof
priority strengthened.
GERMANY
Trademarks
Section 34(1) oftheGerman Trade Mark Lawprovides:
"Claiming priority ofaprevious foreign application shallbegoverned bytheprovisions of
theinternational agreements subject totheproviso thatpriority under theParis Convention
mayalsobeclaimed forservices."
TheGermanGovernmentholdsthattheTRIPSAgreementcanbeconsideredasan"international
agreement" inthesense ofthisprovision. Article 2oftheTRIPS Agreement incorporates among others
Article 4AoftheParisConvention, thereby extending itsapplicability toallWTO Members. Therefore,
arightofpriority isgranted toapplications filedinanyother WTO Member State, evenifthisState
isnotamember oftheParis Union andavails itself ofatransitional period under Article 65ofthe
TRIPS Agreement.
Itshould benoted, however, thatthefinalauthority tointerpret Section 34oftheGerman Trade
Mark Lawlieswiththecompetent Courts ofJustice.
Patents
Yes.
GREECE
Trademarks
Pursuant toArticle 33oftheGreek Trade Marks Law, ourcountry recognizes theright of
priority which isbased ontheprinciple ofreciprocity which isprovided byaninternational agreement.
Therefore, therightofpriority isrecognized onthebasis ofanearlier trademark application filedin
anyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member according totheAgreement establishing
theWTO.
Patents
Pursuant toArticle 9oftheGreek Patent Law(i.e.Law No.1733/1987) aright ofpriority
isrecognized onareciprocal basistoallapplicants having dulyfiledapriorpatent application abroad.
According totheabove-mentioned article, nationals ofacountry oftheParis Convention areentitled
toclaim priority based onanearlier patent application filedinoneofthecountries oftheUnion.
Following theratification oftheTRIPS Agreement bytheHellenic Republic, which incorporates
Article 4oftheParis Convention, arightofpriority isrecognized toallnationals ofWTO Members -
whether members ornotoftheParis Convention -byvirtue ofArticles 1.3and4oftheTRIPS
Agreement. However, interpretation ofalltheabove-mentioned articles lieswithin thecompetent Greek
courts.IP/C/W/73
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IRELAND
Trademarks
TheTrade Marks Act1996, which came intoforce on1July1996, provides forrecognition
ofthisrightofpriority. Section 40oftheAct(inconjunction withSection 60)automatically provides
forpriority tobeaccorded toatrademark application which hasbeenfiledinaParisConvention country.
Section 41oftheabove-mentioned Actprovides thattheGovernment maybyorder make provision
forconferring onaperson whohasdulyfiledanapplication forprotection inacountry orterritory
otherthanaParisConvention country anappropriate rightofpriority. Asregards non-Paris Convention
countries, thequestion ofwhether, andtowhatextent, existing arrangements forpriority made under
theterms ofSection 70oftheTrade Marks Act1963 mayrequire revision inthelightofcurrent
international commitments istobereviewed.
Patents
Yes.
Pursuant toSection 25(1) oftheIrishPatents Act1992, aperson whohasdulyfiledinorfor
anystateparty totheParis Convention anapplication forapatent shallenjoy forfiling asubsequent
application under theActinrespect ofthesame invention arightofpriority.
Pursuant toSection 25(5) oftheActafiling inacountry which isnotparty totheParis
convention maygiverisetoapriority rightiftheGovernment makes anorder tothateffect consequent
upon bilateral ormultilateral agreements. TheTRIPS Agreement isconsidered tobeamultilateral
agreement forthepurposes ofSection 25andtheGovernment hasmade anorder dated 30January 1996
(S.I.No.38of1996) byvirtue ofwhich filing anearlier patent application inaWTO Member may
giverisetoapriority rightasinthecaseofanearlier patent application inaParisConvention country.
ITALY
Trademarks
TheRegulations under theItalian Trademark Law(Article 19ofDecree No.795/1948) provide
thatclaimingpriorityshallconcernfirsttrademarkapplicationfiledinaMemberStateoftheInternational
Union fortheProtection ofIndustrial Property.
Literally, thisruledoesnotrecognize apriority rightfornationals ofallWTO Member States,
whicharenotParisUnionMembers.However,Article17ofDecreeNo.795/1948generallyestablishes
thattheapplicant caninvoke, according totheinternational Conventions ,priority rights ofanapplication
filedinanother State; soitispossible torecognize priority rights onthebasisoftheapplication filed
inanyWTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member.
Itshould benoted thatthefinalinterpretation isuptothecompetent Courts.IP/C/W/73
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Patents
Yes. Inthisconnection, under Article 11oftheImplementing Regulations ofthePatent Law,
approved byDecree No.244of5February 1940, asamended byArticle 44ofDecree No.338of
22June1979, aperson filing apatent inItalymayclaim priority ofafiling "made under theterms
andwiththeeffects laiddown inexisting international conventions". Forthispriority toberecognized,
thefilermust provide documentary evidence ofthepriority invoked, including, where appropriate,
evidence thatheisthesuccessor intitleoftheoriginal filer. Thisevidence, which maytaketheform
ofacertificate signed bythePatent Office andtranslated intoItalian, must mention thename ofthe
right-holder andthedateoffiling forwhich priority isclaimed, aswellasthetitle,description and
drawings oftheinvention concerned. Theperson filing thepatent application inItalyisresponsible
forthecomplete accuracy ofthetranslation ofthepriority certificates submitted totheItalian Office.
LUXEMBOURG
Trademarks
TheBenelux Trademark LawandtheBenelux Design Lawdonotyetrecognize apriority right
fornationals ofallWTO Member States. Atthemoment, bothlawsrulethatonlynationals ofMember
States thataresignatories totheParis Convention caninvoke apriority right. Forbothlaws, achange
hasbeenproposed bythegovernments ofthethree Benelux countries (Protocols of7August 1996).
These twoproposals arepending approval bythenational parliaments oftheBenelux countries. After
approval, nationals ofallWTO Member States caninvoke apriority rightwhen theyfileanapplication
foraBenelux trademark oraBenelux design.
Patents
Asitnowstands, theLuxembourg Patent Law(Law of30June1980asamended) recognizes
apriority rightforearlier applications forpatents (orutility models) filedinaStateparty totheParis
Convention fortheProtection ofIndustrial Property.
Inthefuture legislation (Law of20July1992, Article 26,asitwillbeamended byArticle
2ofthedraft lawamending thatlaw), therecognition ofpriority rights willbeextended topatent
applications filedinaWTO Member State. Thislegislation should enter intoforce inAutumn 1997.
NETHERLANDS
Trademarks
TheBenelux Trademark LawandtheBenelux Design Lawdonotyetrecognize apriority right
fornationals ofallWTO Member States. Atthemoment bothlawsrulethatonlynationals ofMember
States thataresignatories totheParis Convention caninvoke apriority right. Forbothlaws, achange
hasbeenproposed bythegovernments ofthethree Benelux countries (Protocols of7August 1996).
These twoproposals arepending approval bythenational parliaments oftheBenelux countries. After
approval, nationals ofallWTO Member States caninvoke apriority rightwhen theyfileanapplication
foraBenelux trademark oraBenelux design.IP/C/W/73
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Patents
Yes. Article 9oftheRijksoctrooiwet (TheNetherlands 'Patent Law) provides thatpriority
rights, thatarebased onpatent rights granted inacountry thatisaMember oftheWTO, arevalid
inTheNetherlands. Nodistinction ismade between WTO Members which aremembers oftheParis
Convention andthose which arenotparty tothisConvention.
PORTUGAL
Trademarks
Inourview, thePortuguese reply should beintheaffirmative fortwokinds ofreasons:
Thefirststems from theinterpretation ofArticle 2oftheTRIPS Agreement under which
Members havetocomply withArticles 1through 12,and19,oftheParis Convention (1967) which
includes Article 4providing forpriority rights.
Thesecond isbased onArticle 3,paragraph 4,oftheIndustrial Property Code, whereby
references totheParis Convention include theTRIPS Agreement.
Hence, theintention ofthedrafters ofthenational legislation istoapply theprovisions ofthe
Paris Convention notonlytotheparties tothatConvention butalsototheparties totheMembers of
theWTO.
Patents
Theanswer is"yes" (Article 3(4)oftheIndustrial Property Code).
SPAIN
Trademarks
Spain recognizes arightofpriority based onatrademark application filedinorforSpain that
claims sucharightonthebasis ofaprior application filedinanyWTO Member.
Justification:theUnionrightofpriority(Article4oftheParisConvention)hasbeenincorporated
intheTRIPS Agreement byimplication, according toArticle 2.1oftheAgreement, andconsequently
applies toallnationals ofWTO Members, whoaregranted thetreatment provided forinArticle 1.3
oftheAgreement, which byimplication includes theUnion rightofpriority.
Moreover, pursuant tothemost-favoured-nation clause (Article 4oftheTRIPS Agreement),
nationals ofWTO Members must begranted thesame advantages asthose granted tothenationals
ofanyother country, inthisparticular casetheright ofpriority recognized tonationals ofStates
belonging totheParis Union.
Patents
Spain recognizes therightofpriority forapatent application filedinorforSpain which invokes
sucharightonthebasis ofanearlier application filedinanyWTO Member.IP/C/W/73
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SWEDEN
Trademarks
Article 3,paragraph 1oftheInternational Trademark Regulation andArticle 8oftheDesign
Protection Regulation bothcontain provisions onpriority tobegiven onthebasis ofapplications
originating inacountry party totheParis Convention and,inaddition, toapplications originating in
other countries where theregistration authority, forspecial reasons, considers thatthesame priority
should begiven. TheSwedish Patent andRegistration Office implements theseprovisions totheeffect
thatpriority isgiven alsotoapplications originating inWTO countries which areoutside theParis
Convention.
Patents
TheSwedish Patents Act(Article 6)provides forpriority fromapplications filedinaforeign
country partytotheParisConvention fortheProtection ofIndustrial Property andalsofromapplications
forprotection which donotrelate toacountry party tothatConvention, ifcorresponding priority,
inthatcountry, would begranted fromSwedish applications andifthelegislation inforceinthatcountry
essentially corresponds totherequirements under theConvention.
UNITED KINGDOM
Trademarks
Attheendof1995, theUnited Kingdom amended itstrademark legislation torecognize aright
ofpriority onthebasis ofanearlier trademark application filedbyanyperson inanyother country
which atthattimewasaWTO Member.
Therelevant legislative provisions providing thispriority rightfortrademark applications are
Sections 35,36and55oftheTrade Marks Act1994. Section 35together withSection 55oftheUnited
Kingdom Trade Marks Act1994 automatically provides forpriority tobeaccorded toatrademark
application which hasbeenfiledinaParisConvention country. Section 36oftheTrade Marks Act1994
provides thepower toextend thesame privilege toother "relevant countries". Thecountries deemed
tobe"relevant countries" arespecified inTheTrade Marks (Claims toPriority fromRelevant Countries)
Order 1994. This particular measure wasamended on24November 1995 [with effect from
1January 1996] toinclude thefollowing, whoatthattimewerealltheWTO Members notparty to
theParis Convention:
Antigua andBarbuda Dominica Maldives
Bahrain Ecuador Mozambique
Belize Guatemala Myanmar
Bolivia Hong Kong Namibia
Botswana India Nicaragua
Brunei Darussalam Jamaica Pakistan
Colombia Kuwait Sierra Leone
Djibouti Macau ThailandIP/C/W/73
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Further amending legislation iscurrently being produced toupdate theabove listtoinclude
those countries whohavemore recently acceded totheWTO andwhoarealsonotparty totheParis
Convention.
Patents
Attheendof1995, theUnited Kingdom amended itspatents legislation torecognize aright
ofpriority onthebasis ofanearlier patent application filedinanycountry which atthattimewasa
WTO Member.
Therelevant legislative provisions providing thispriority right forpatent applications are
Sections 5and90ofthePatents Act1977 which provide, interalia,forarightofpriority based on
anapplication inaconvention country. Thecountries deemed tobeconvention countries arespecified
inThePatents (Convention Countries) Order 1994. This particular measure wasupdated on
24November 1995byThePatents (Convention Countries) (Amendment) Order 1995soastoinclude
allthose countries whoatthattimewere Members oftheWTO.
Furtheramendinglegislationiscurrentlybeingproducedtoupdatethelistofconventioncountries
totakeaccount ofthose countries whohavemore recently acceded totheWTO.
HONG KONG1
Trademarks
AstheParis Convention hasinfactbeenextended toHong Kong, though wearenotparty
toit,wearebound toobserve Article 4oftheParisConvention. Wehaveprovided Convention priority
protection tocountries adhering totheParis Convention andtoMembers oftheWTO which maynot
haveadhered totheParis Convention.
Patents
AstheParis Convention hasinfactbeenextended toHong Kong, though wearenotparty
toit,wearebound toobserve Article 4oftheParisConvention. Wehaveprovided Convention priority
protection tocountries adhering totheParis Convention andtoMembers oftheWTO which maynot
haveadhered totheParis Convention.
HUNGARY
Trademarks
Incompliance withtheobligations under theTRIPS Agreement, Hungary isready torecognize
priority rights based onafirstfiling ofatrademark, industrial design andpatent application inanother
WTO Member, irrespective ofwhether thatother WTO Member isamember oftheParisConvention.
1When submitting itsreplies, thedelegation ofHong Kong indicated thattheentries arewithout prejudice
toHong Kong 'srights under Article 65.2oftheTRIPS Agreement andthatHong Kong isnotcurrently obliged
toapply theprovisions oftheAgreement other thanArticles 3,4and5.IP/C/W/73
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Patents
Incompliance withtheobligations under theTRIPS Agreement, Hungary isready torecognize
priority rights based onafirstfiling ofatrademark, industrial design andpatent application inanother
WTO Member, irrespective ofwhether thatother WTO Member isamember oftheParisConvention.
ICELAND
Trademarks
Iceland recognizes arightofpriority onthebasis ofanearlier trademark application filedin
another WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member. Thisrecognition isexplicitly stated in
Regulations No.436/1990 andNo.287/1996 andinanamendment made earlier thisyeartoArticle 30
oftheTrade Marks Act.Members willfindthisamendment inPartIIofActNo.36/1996, asnotified.
Patents
Theanswer isyes.Thisrecognition isexplicitly stated inSection 1ofPartIofActNo.36/1996
andArticle 6ofRegulation No.286/1996.
JAPAN
Trademarks
Yes. Japan hascreated newprovisions initslaws, which recognize priority claims based upon
earlier applications filedinanyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member. Therelevant
provision isArticle 43bisofthePatent Law, which isincorporated intheTrademark Lawbyreference.
Patents
Article 43bisoftheJapanese Patent Lawstipulates thatanational ofaWTO Member who
filedanearlier patent application inanyother WTO Member country mayclaim arightofpriority
asprovided forinArticle 4oftheParis Convention.
LIECHTENSTEIN
Trademarks
According toArticle 7ofthecurrent Trademark Act,foreign applicants mayapply for
registration ofamark under thecondition thattheyarenationals ofastatethatgrants reciprocity of
treatment fornationals ofLiechtenstein.
Article 15oftheOrdinance ontheProtection ofTrademarks liststheobligations which a
registration hastofulfil. Indent 8ofArticle 15provides thepossibility toclaim priority ofthefirst
application inaforeign country.
Intherevision oftheTrademark Act,thepossibilities ofclaiming priority inaMember State
oftheParis Convention willbecontained inArticle 7.1.Article 7.2willprovide therightofpriorityIP/C/W/73
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onareciprocity basis inthecasewhere priority isclaimed inanon-Member State oftheParis
Convention.
Patents
According totheTreaty ontheProtection ofPatents concluded between Liechtenstein and
Switzerland in1978(Patent Treaty) Liechtenstein andSwitzerland constitute aunitary territory ofpatent
protection. Allprovisions ofSwiss patent legislation areapplicable inLiechtenstein including those
concerning priority rights. Asfrom 1July1995, Switzerland extended thepriority rights under the
Paris Convention toallWTO Members, including those availing themselves ofatransitional period
provided fortheTRIPS Agreement.
NEW ZEALAND
Trademarks
New Zealand currently recognizes aright ofpriority onthebasis ofanearlier trademark
application forthose countries thataremembers oftheParis Convention orwhere NewZealand has
abilateral agreement concerning thepriority oftrademark applications.
Anamendment tothePatents, Designs andTrade Marks Convention Order iscurrently being
prepared. Thepurpose oftheamendment istoextend theConvention Order toWTO Members who
arenotmembers oftheParis Convention.
Patents
NewZealand currently recognizes arightofpriority onthebasisofanearlier patent application
forthose countries thataremembers oftheParis Convention orwhere NewZealand hasabilateral
agreement concerning thepriority ofpatent applications.
Anamendment tothePatents, Designs andTrade Marks Convention Order iscurrently being
prepared. Thepurpose oftheamendment istoextend theConvention Order toWTO Members who
arenotmembers oftheParis Convention.
NORWAY
Trademarks
Yes. Norway doesrecognize arightofpriority onthebasisofanearlier trademark application
filedinanyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member. Thisfollows fromtheTrademark
Act,Section 30andmore specifically from Section 5oftheTrademark Regulations.
Patents
Theanswer isyes.Since 1January 1996, ithasbeenclearly stated inthePatent Regulations
thatapplications filedinallWTO Members, maygiverisetoarightofpriority. Thisrightdoesnot
depend upon thenationality oftheapplicant.IP/C/W/73
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ROMANIA
Patents
Yes,anational ofaWTO Member mayinvoke therightprovided forinArticle 20ofthePatent
Law, within themeaning ofArticle 4oftheParis Convention.
SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Trademarks
TheSlovakRepublicrecognizesarightofpriorityonthebasisofanearliertrademarkapplication
forthose members applying theTRIPS Agreement. Inaddition, theSlovak Republic hasnospecific
difficulty toeffect thisrighttothose Members applying theprovisions ofArticle 65concerning the
possible delay inimplementing theTRIPS Agreement.
Patents
Yes,theSlovakRepublicrecognizesarightofpriorityonthebasisofanearlierpatentapplication
filedinanyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member.
SLOVENIA
Trademarks
Yes. Article 4oftheParis Convention isincorporated intotheTRIPS Agreement byvirtue
ofArticle 2.1.Itistherefore ourunderstanding thatitisourobligation under theTRIPS Agreement
torecognize arightofpriority fortrademarks filedfirstinanyother WTO Member State.
Patents
Yes. Arightofpriority isasubject ofArticle 4oftheParis Convention andthisArticle is,
together withother Articles, incorporated intotheTRIPS Agreement byvirtue ofitsArticle 2.1.It
istherefore ourunderstanding thatitisourobligation under theTRIPS Agreement torecognize aright
ofpriority forpatents filedfirstinanyother WTO Member state.
SOUTH AFRICA
Trademarks
South Africa doesrecognize arightofpriority onthebasisofanearlier trademark application
filedinaparty totheParis Convention. Interms ofSection 63(1) oftheTrade Marks Act1993, the
StatePresident declares countries tobe"convention countries" bynotice intheGovernment Gazette.
Thelastnotice waspublished intheGovernment Gazette of1November 1996(Notice 1559of1996).
Duetoanoversight, thelistwasnotupdated toinclude WTO Members notparties totheParis
Convention. Thiswillberectified assoonaspossible.IP/C/W/73
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Patents
Thecurrent position isthatSouth Africa recognizes inSection 31oftheSouth African Patents
Actaright ofpriority based onanearlier patent application filedin"aconvention country". Interms
ofSection 2(vi)ofthePatents Act"aconvention country" isdefined asacountry which thePresident,
withaviewtothefulfilment ofanytreaty orconvention, hasbyproclamation declared tobeaconvention
country.
Atpresent, thecountries sodeclared tobeconvention countries areallmember countries of
theParis Convention. South Africa, isintheprocess ofpreparing anamplified listofcountries,
including allWTO Member countries, toform partofanappropriate proclamation.
SWITZERLAND
Trademarks
From thedateonwhich Switzerland ratified theWTO Agreement, i.e.1July1995, therégime
applicable inSwitzerland withrespect topriority rights under theParis Convention wasextended to
allWTO Members, including those availing themselves ofatransitional period provided forinthe
TRIPS Agreement.
Patents
Yes.
From thedateonwhich Switzerland ratified theWTO Agreement, i.e.July1995, theregime
applicable inSwitzerland withrespect topriority rights under theParis convention wasextended to
allWTO Members, including those availing themselves ofatransitional period provided forinthe
TRIPS Agreement. Attention isdrawn tothefactthatSwitzerland andthePrincipality ofLiechtenstein
formaunitary territory forthepurposes ofpatent protection according totheTreaty ontheProtection
ofPatents of1978.
TURKEY
Patents
Yes. According toArticle 4ofTurkish Patent andIndustrial Design Laws, theTurkish Patent
Institute recognizes priority rights inrespect ofpatents based onanearlier application inanyother
WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member without amending related lawsandregulations.2
2Thedelegation ofTurkey alsoindicated thattheTurkish Patent Institute isaccepting toextend protection
under Article 6teroftheParis Convention tothose WTO Members thatarenotParis Convention Members and
areavailing themselves ofaTRIPS transition period.IP/C/W/73
Page16
UNITED STATES
Trademarks
Yes, theUnited States recognizes aright ofpriority onthebasis ofanearlier trademark
application filedinanyother WTO Member byanational ofaWTO Member. Section 1126(b) of
Title15,United States Code provides that:
"(b)Rights offoreign owner oftrademark .Anyperson whose country oforigin isaparty
toanyconvention ortreaty relating totrademarks, tradeorcommercial names, ortherepression
ofunfair competition, towhich theUnited States isalsoaparty, orextends reciprocal rights
tonationals oftheUnited States bylaw,shallbeentitled tothebenefits ofthissection under
theconditions expressed herein totheextent necessary togiveeffect toanyprovision ofsuch
convention, treaty orreciprocal law,inaddition totherights towhich anyowner ofamark
isotherwise entitled bythisAct."
TheTRIPS Agreement fallswithin thedefinition of"any convention ortreaty relating to
trademarks, trade orcommercial names". Assuch, anational ofaWTO Member isentitled toclaim
priority based onatrademark application filedoriginally inanyWTO Member.
Patents
Pursuant to35U.S.C. 119,anapplication forpatent foraninvention intheUnited States filed
byanyperson whohaspreviously filedanapplication forapatent forthesame invention inaforeign
country which affords similar privileges inthecaseofapplications filedintheUnited States ortocitizens
oftheUnited States shallhavethesameeffect asthesameapplication would haveiffiledinthiscountry
onthedateonwhich theapplication forpatent forthesame invention wasfirstfiledinsuchforeign
country. Historically, theUnited States hasrecognized either membership intheParisUnion orbilateral
understanding asbeing asufficient basis todemonstrate thatsimilar privileges arebeing extended to
USapplications ortocitizens oftheUnited States. TheUnited States alsorecognizes thatmembership
intheAgreement Establishing theWorld Trade Agreement willyieldequivalent treatment inallWTO
Members forUnited States nationals andinrespect ofapplications filed intheUnited States.
Accordingly, theUnited States canconfirm thatitwillrecognize priority claims made inaUnited States
application forpatent bynationals ofanyWTO Member onthebasis ofanapplication earlier filed
inaWTO Member.