São Tomé and Príncipe joins global patent pact – UN intellectual property agency

São Tomé and Príncipe has become the 139th State to accede to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the pact designed to stimulate innovation and promote economic activity worldwide, the United Nations agency that protects ownership of intellectual property announced today.

The Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said that São Tomé and Príncipe deposited its instrument of accession earlier this month, which means the treaty will enter into force for the country on 3 July. After that date, its nationals and residents will be able to file patent applications.

The number of PCT international applications filed each year continues to rise, WIPO has previously reported, with the overall figures almost doubling in the past two decades.

The treaty aims to provide patent applicants with a more streamlined process for filing and to give the public accelerated access to the latest technological information on inventions and other forms of intellectual property.