As part of its ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP), New Zealand has deposited its instruments of accession to the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure (“The Budapest Treaty”).

The Budapest Treaty enters into force in New Zealand on 17 March 2019.

The New Zealand Patents Act 2013 is already compliant with the Budapest Treaty, so no changes are required to IPONZ’s current practice for patent applications requiring the deposit of a micro-organism under s 43.

For more details on the Budapest Treaty, please visit the following links:

• National Interest Analysis on the Budapest Treaty [PDF 158KB]
• The Budapest Treaty on the World Intellectual Property Organisation website