1516-(8)

II SÉRIE-A — NÚMERO 63

i) Have a continuous existence;

ii) Have the necessary staff and facilities, as prescribed in the Regulations, to perform its scientific and administrative tasks under this Treaty;

Hi) Be impartial and objective;

iv) Be available, for the purposes of deposit, to any depositor under the same conditions;

v) Accept for deposit any or certain kinds of microorganisms, examine their viability and store them, as prescribed in the Regulations;

vi) Issue a receipt to the depositor, and any required viability statement as prescribed in the Regulations;

vu) Comply in respect of the deposited microorganisms, with the requirement of secrecy as prescribed in the Regulations;

viii) Furnish samples of any deposited microorganisms under the conditions and in conformity with the procedure prescribed in the Regulations.

3 — The Regulations shall provide the measures to be taken:

i) Where an international depositary authority discontinues, temporarily or definitively, the performance of its functions in respect of deposited microorganisms or refuses to accept any of the kinds of microorganisms which it should accept under the assurances furnished;

ii) In case of the termination or limitation of the status of international depositary authority of an international depositary authority.

Article 7

Acquisition of the status of international depositary authority

1 — a) A depositary institution shall acquire the status of international depositary authority by virtue of a written communication addressed to the Director General by the Contracting State on the territory of which the depositary institution is located and including a declaration of assurances to the effect that the said institution complies and. will continue to comply with the requirements specified in article 6, 2. The said status may be acquired also by virtue of a written communication addressed to the Director General by an intergovernmental industrial property organization and including the said declaration.

b) The communication shall also contain information on the depositary institution as provided in the Regulations and may indicate the date on which the status of international depositary authority should take effect.

2 — a) If the Director General finds that the communication includes the required declaration and that all the required information has been received, the communication shall be promptly published by the International Bureau.

b) The status of international depositary authority shall be acquired as from the date of publication of the communication or, where a date has been indicated under paragraph 1, b), and such date is later than the date of publication of the communication, as from such date.

3 — The details of the procedure under paragraphs 1 and 2 are provided in the Regulations.

Article 8

Termination and limitation of the status of international depositary authority

1 — a) Any Contracting State or any intergovernmental industrial property organization may request the Assembly to terminate, or to limit to certain kinds of microorganisms, any authority's status of international

depositary authority on the ground that the requirements specified in article 6 have not been or are no longer complied with. However, such a request may not be made by a Contracting State or intergovernmental industrial property organization in respect of an international depositary authority for which it has made the declaration referred to in article 7,1, a).

b) Before making the request under subparagraph a), the Contracting State or the intergovernmental industrial property organization shall, through the intermediary of the Director General, notify the reasons for the proposed request to the Contracting State or the intergovernmental industrial property organization which has made the communication referred to in article 7, 1, so that that State or organization may, within six months from the date of the said notification, take appropriate action to obviate the need for making the proposed request.

c) Where the Assembly finds that the request is well founded, it shall decide to terminate, or to limit to certain kinds of microorganisms, the status of international depositary authority of the authority referred to in subparagraph a). The decision of the Assembly shall require that a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast be in favor of the request.

2 — a) The Contracting State or intergovernmental industrial property organization having made the declaration referred to in article 7, 1, a), may, by a communication addressed to the Director General, withdraw its declaration either entirely or in respect only of certain kinds of microorganisms and in any event shall do so when and to the extent that its assurances are no longer applicable.

b) Such a communication shall, from the date provided for in the Regulations, entail, where it relates to the-entire declaration, the termination of the status of international depositary authority or, where it relates only to certain kinds of microorganisms, a corresponding limitation of such status.

3 — The details of the procedure under paragraphs 1 and 2 are provided in the Regulations.

Article 9

Intergovernmental industrial property organizations

1 —a) Any intergovernmental organization to which several States have entrusted the task of granting regional patents and of which all the member States are members of the International (Paris) Union for the Protection of Industrial Property may file with the Director General a declaration that it accepts the obligation of recognition provided for in article 3, 1, a), the obligation concerning the requirements referred to in article 3, 2, and all the effects of the provisions of this Treaty and the Regulations applicable to intergovernmental industrial property organizations. If filed before the entry into force of this Treaty according to article 16, 1, the declaration referred to in the preceding sentence shall become effective on the date of the said entry into force. If filed