Albania accedes to the European Patent Convention

On 11 February 2010, the Government of the Republic of Albania (AL) deposited its instrument of accession to the European Patent Convention (EPC).

The EPC will accordingly enter into force for Albania on 1 May 2010.

The European Patent Organisation will thus comprise the following 37 member states from 1 May 2010:

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Further information concerning the effects of this accession and Albania's national provisions for the implementation of the EPC will be published on the homepage of the European Patent Office www.european-patent-office.org respectively in the Official Journal of the European Patent Office.