Uruguay joined the PCT and the Budapest Treaty
After the deposition of its instrument of accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) with WIPO’s Director General on 7 October 2025, Uruguay became bound by the PCT on 7 January 2025. The accession of Uruguay to the PCT will make it the 158th member of the PCT Union.
As from 7 January 2025, Applicants from Uruguay are able to file patent applications under the PCT to seek patent protection in PCT contracting states. Further, any international patent application filed under the PCT system on or after 7 January 2025 will automatically include the designation of Uruguay allowing foreign Applicants to use the PCT system to seek patent protection for their inventions in Uruguay.
At the time of depositing the instrument of accession, Uruguay also made a reservation that it is not bound by Chapter II (“International Preliminary Examination”) of the PCT and therefore the Uruguayan Patent Office will not conduct international preliminary examination. Further information about Uruguay’s functioning as a PCT receiving Office and designated Office is available in the PCT Applicant’s Guide.
Signed in 1970 and effective since 1978, the PCT system currently covers 158 contracting states after the accession of Uruguay. The PCT system is an essential global tool for the protection of inventions at international level. The PCT system allows Applicants to seek protection for their inventions in all contracting states, while reducing costs, reducing administrative work and benefiting of very useful PCT products and services, such as International Search Reports.
Also, effective 7 January 2025, Uruguay joined the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure. The Budapest Treaty allows a single deposit of a microorganism with any international depository authority to satisfy the patent disclosure requirements of all contracting states. This simplifies and secures the international protection of biotechnological inventions. With the accession to the Budapest Treaty, Uruguay has acceded a key instrument for the biotechnology sector.
The accession to the PCT and the Budapest Treaty represents an important and a significant progress for Uruguay. Indeed, this accession (1) provides an additional international recognition to Uruguay and makes Uruguay part of the global patent system, (2) allows local innovators to access the international patent system in an easier and more organized way, (3) improves the local patent system and increases confidence in the local patent system, (4) improves and promotes local research and development, (5) encourages the innovation, and (5) attracts foreign investments.
Uruguay’s accession to the PCT and the Budapest Treaty will certainly have broader implications for Latin America as a whole, influencing the region’s innovation ecosystem, its relationship with global patent systems, and the harmonization of intellectual property (IP) laws. Currently 25 Latin America countries are PCT contracting states (this includes South America, Central America and Caribbean countries).
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Prepared by Andrea Manola
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