RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/DS37/1
IP/D/3
ORGANIZATION 6May1996
(96-1754)
Original: English
PORTUGAL -PATENT PROTECTION UNDER THE INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY ACT
Request forConsultations bytheUnited States
Thefollowing communication, dated 30April 1996, fromthePermanent Mission oftheUnited
States tothePermanent Mission ofPortugal andtotheDispute Settlement Body, iscirculated in
accordance withArticle 4.4oftheDSU.
_______________
Myauthorities haveinstructed metorequest consultations withtheGovernment ofPortugal
pursuanttoArticle4oftheUnderstandingonRulesandProceduresGoverningtheSettlementofDisputes
("DSU") andArticle 64oftheAgreement onTrade-Related Aspects ofIntellectual Property Rights
("TRIPS") (totheextent thatitincorporates byreference Article XXII oftheGeneral Agreement on
Tariffs andTrade 1994) regarding thetermofpatents inPortugal.
TheTRIPS Agreement obligates allMembers oftheWorld Trade Organization ("WTO") to
grant atermofprotection forpatents thatrunsatleastuntiltwenty years afterthefiling dateofthe
underlying application. TheTRIPS Agreement alsorequires eachMember togrant thisminimum term
toallpatents thatwere inforce inthatMember onthedateoftheapplication oftheAgreement to
thatMember. InlightofPortugal 'sstatus asadeveloped country, theTRIPS Agreement applied to
itonJanuary 1,1996.
Thetermgranted existing patents under thePortuguese Industrial Property Actappears tobe
inconsistent withPortugal 'sobligations under theTRIPS Agreement, including butnotnecessarily
limited toTRIPS Agreement Articles 33,65,and70.
Welookforward toreceiving your reply tothepresent request andtofixing amutually
convenient dateforconsultations.