Jusletter

Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted by consensus an international treaty that will simplify and streamline procedures for obtaining and maintaining a patent. The Patent Law Treaty (PLT), which opened for signature on June 2, 2000, will enter into force once it has been ratified by ten countries. The PLT was finalized at a Diplomatic Conference that brought together high-level representatives from some 150 states and met from May 11 to June 2, 2000. The treaty is the culmination of 5 years of negotiations and is a major step towards further harmonization of patent law. The PLT promises to reduce the cost of patent protection and to make the process more user friendly and widely accessible.