RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/63/Add.1
23May1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2151)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION INTHE FIELDS OFPATENTS, LAYOUT-DESIGNS
(TOPOGRAPHIES) OFINTEGRATED CIRCUITS, PROTECTION OF
UNDISCLOSED INFORMATION AND CONTROL OF
ANTI-COMPETITIVE PRACTICES IN
CONTRACTUAL LICENCES
Replies from Bulgaria toquestions posed bytheUnited States
Addendum
Thefollowing communication, dated 16May1997, hasbeenreceived from thePermanent
Mission ofBulgaria.
_______________
Patents
1. Please explain, whether anyofthefollowing inventions areprohibited frombeing patented
inBulgaria iftheyotherwise satisfy theconditions ofbeing novel, involving aninventive step,andbeing
industrially applicable:
(a) process inventions which, inwhole orinpart, consist ofsteps thatareperformed by
acomputer andaredirected byacomputer program;
(b) productinventionsconsistingofelementsofacomputer-implementedinvention,including
inparticular:
(i) machine-readable computer program codestored onatangible medium such
asafloppy disk,computer harddrive orcomputer memory; and
(ii) ageneral purpose computer whose novelty overtheprior artarises primarily
duetoitscombination withaspecific computer program;
(c) pharmaceutical oragricultural chemical products; or
(d) non-naturally occurring microorganisms, plants oranimals.
Ifanyofthese types ofinventions areexcluded fromeligibility tobepatented, please explain
howBulgarian patent lawcomplies withtheobligations ofArticle 27oftheTRIPS Agreement, which
mandates patent eligibility forallcategories ofinvention without discrimination.IP/C/W/63/Add.1
Page2
(a) Under theprovisions ofArticle 6,paragraphs 2and3oftheBulgarian Patent Law(1993) the
computer programmes areexcluded fromthepatentable inventions, provided thatnolegalprotection
isrequired forthemassuch, butthatprovision doesnotexclude "apriori "thepatentability ofinventions
related tocomputers.
Inthatmeaning, thePatent Lawdoesnotexclude from thepatent protection theinventions
formethods, which inwhole orinpart,consist ofsteps thatareperformed byacomputer andare
directed byacomputer program.
(b) (i) Machine-readable computer program codestored onatangible medium suchasafloppy
disc, computer harddrive orcomputer memory isinthescope oftheexcluded by
Article 6,paragraph 2ofthePatent Lawobjects -"computer programmes" assuch.
Suchaproduct, besides itsstorage onatangible medium, isexcluded frompatentability,
because itsnovelty overthefieldoftechnology isconcentrated onlyandexclusively
tothecontribution, provided bythecomputer programme assuch.
(ii) Ageneral purpose computer, whose novelty overthepriorarticle arises primarily due
toitscombination withaspecific computer programme which provides theworking
process ofthecomputer inadifferent wayfrom atechnical point ofview, isnot
excluded from thepatent protection.
(c) Thepharmaceuticals oragricultural chemical products maybeprotected under theprovisions
ofthePatent Law.
(d) Plant varieties andanimal breeds areexcluded from thepatent protection asperArticle 7,
paragraph 3ofthePatent Law.
Thenon-naturally occurred plants andanimal breeds, e.g.where thereexists human intervention
totheessential biological process, arenotexcluded from thepatent protection.
Themicro-organisms, asproducts ofmicrobiological methods, under theprovisions of
paragraph 3ofArticle 7ofthePatent Lawmaybepatent protected.
TheBulgarian Patent Lawmandates patent eligibility forallcategories ofinventions without
discrimination incompliance withArticle 27oftheTRIPS Agreement.
2. PleaseexplainwhetheritispossibleinBulgariatoobtainacompulsorylicence(alicencegranted
toathirdparty without theconsent ofthepatent owner), andifso,howsuchauthority complies with
theprovisions ofArticle 31oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Under theprovisions ofArticle 32ofthePatent Law, anyperson involved could request the
Patent Office forconcession ofacompulsory licence inhisfavour fortheuseofapatent protected
invention, without thepatent owner 'sconsent, provided thatatleastoneofthefollowing conditions
ispresent:
- failure tousetheinvention foraperiod offouryears from thedateoftheapplication fora
patent orofthree years fromthegrant ofapatent, provided thatthetimelimitwhich expires
laterisvalid;IP/C/W/63/Add.1
Page3
- insufficient useoftheinvention tosatisfy theneeds ofthenational market, within thetime
limits asperabove, unless thepatent owner proves valid reasons forthat;
- declared national stateofemergency -forthetimeperiod ofitsduration.
These conditions donotdeplete theconditions ofArticle 32oftheTRIPS Agreement butas
farasparagraph 7ofArticle 32(PL)establishes theapplicability oftheconditions under which the
compulsory licence shallbeissued andfixedinbilateral andmultilateral agreements towhich Bulgaria
isaparty, andtheapplication ofthisinstitution inBulgaria willbefullycomplied withthestandards
andrules oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Theamerican sideshould notethataccording toArticle 5,paragraph 5oftheConstitution
oftheRepublic ofBulgaria, theTRIPS Agreement afteritspublishing inState Gazette shallbecome
partoftheinternal legislation ofourcountry anditsstandards andrulesshallprevail overthose rules
ofourlegislation which areincontradiction withthem.
3. Please indicate howmany compulsory licences onayearly basishavebeengranted inBulgaria
since 1January 1993.
Since 1January 1993, nocompulsory licence hasbeenrequested fortheuseofpatent protected
invention.
4. Please explain whether protection isoffered inBulgaria forplant varieties, andifso,whether
suchprotection isbased onthestandards ofthe1978 or1991 ActsoftheInternational Convention
fortheProtection ofNewVarieties ofPlants (UPOV).
Theplantvarieties inBulgaria areprotected bytheLawonProtection ofNewPlant Varieties
andAnimal Breeds which entered intoforce on4January 1997.
Thelawandtheprotection arebased onthestandards ofthe1991 ActoftheUPOV.
Protection ofundisclosed information
5. Please explain howundisclosed information isprotected inBulgaria, andthelegal basis for
suchprotection [NOTE: nonotification fromBulgaria concerning protection ofundisclosed information
hadbeendistributed bytheWTO Secretariat atthetimethese questions wereprepared].
Theprotection ofundisclosed information islegally established. TheLawontheProtection
ofCompetition adopted in1991, prohibits theannouncement ofdecisions anddata, representing
production ortradesecret. Thelearning, useordivulging ofundisclosed information incontradiction
withthebonafidetrade practice represent unfair competition.
Article 14,paragraph 3oftheLawontheProtection ofCompetition provides formore tough
sanction fortheinfringement -thelearning ofanother 'sproduction ortrade secret "through
eavesdropping, entering intopremises, opening ofcorrespondence, photographing" andother illegal
means.
Article 14,paragraph 5oftheLawontheProtection ofCompetition obliges theemployees
ofanyenterprise ororganization, aswellasthestatebodies (including aftertermination oftheir
employment contracts) nottocommunicate theproduction ortrade secrets which theyhavelearned
through theiremployment foraperiod of5years, except where alonger termisstipulated inthe
employment orother contract.IP/C/W/63/Add.1
Page4
TheLawguarantees therighttoclaim before thecourt ofthenatural andlegalpersons whose
interests havebeenharmed bytheviolation. Thesame right, onindependent legal basis, hasthe
specialized body fortheprotection ofthecompetition aswellasthedistrict attorney.
Incases ofviolation under Article 14,theLawprovides imposition ofpecuniary sanctions
onthepersons found guiltbythedistrict court according tothecrime commitment.
6. Please indicate thenature ofmeasures, ifany,thataretaken byjudicial authorities inBulgaria
toprotect theconfidentiality ofundisclosed information furnished byaparty tothecourt during legal
proceedings, when theinformation hasbeenprovided either toenforce rights insuchinformation, or
forother purposes.
Forthepurpose ofpreventing theannouncement ofundisclosed information, submitted bythe
corresponding party tothecourt, thecaseshall beheldinclosed doors according toArticle 105,
paragraph 2oftheCode onCivil Procedures.
7. Please explain themeasures, ifany,thathavebeenimplemented inBulgaria toprotect against
unfair competition those parties thathave provided confidential testorother dataconcerning a
pharmaceuticaloragriculturalchemicalproducttoBulgarianregulatoryauthoritiespursuanttoarequest
formarketing approval andhowsuchmeasures areconsistent withArticle 39.3oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Please explain whether theinformation isprotected against disclosure indefinitely, orisonlyprotected
foraspecific period oftime.
There arenoexplicit provisions intheLawontheProtection ofCompetition,which guarantee
protection from unfair competition tothepersons, whohadsubmitted tothecompetent Bulgarian
authorities confidential testsorother dataforpharmaceutical oragricultural chemical products with
request fortheirapproval.