Amendments to the Patent Law of Serbia and Montenegro

After a recent amendment, the 20-month term for filing PCT applications in Serbia and Montenegro under Chapter 1 was extended to 30 months.

The Patent Law of Serbia and Montenegro now complies with the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) modifications of April 1, 2002, and more precisely with the amendment to the PCT Article 22 (1).

Practically, the Patent Law of Serbia and Montenegro now provides that the deadline for entering the national phase of an international patent application under Chapter I will be extended from 20 months to 30 months from the priority date.

The new 30-month time limit under the PCT Article 22(1) will apply to international applications filed on or after 1 January 2004.

The time limit for entering the national phase of an international patent application under Chapter II (PCT Article 39 (1)) remains at 30 months. However, it can be extended by one month upon payment of additional fees.