Prepared by: Masa Lopicic

 

VILNIUS - On September 4, Lithuania will close its national route for international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), meaning that the applicants seeking protection in Lithuania will no longer be able to enter the national phase in Lithuania directly.

 

The applicants will be able to enter the regional phase before the European Patent Office (EPO), since Lithuania acceded to the European Patent Convention (EPC) on December 1, 2004, and international applications filed on or after that date automatically designate Lithuania.

 

Lithuania joins Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands and Slovenia, which are party to the EPC and have already closed their national PCT routes.

 

Source: PCT Newsletter - WIPO