RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/N/4/CHE/1
7February 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0462)
Original: French Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 4(d)OFTHE AGREEMENT
Switzerland
Thefollowing communication, dated 27December 1995, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofSwitzerland.
_____________
Article 4(d)oftheTRIPS Agreement stipulates thataMember seeking tojustify anexception
toMFNtreatmentbyinvokinganinternationalagreementrelatedtotheprotectionofintellectualproperty
which entered intoforcepriortotheentryintoforceoftheWTO Agreement mustnotify suchagreements
totheCouncil forTRIPS. Thisnotification concerns multilateral andbilateral agreements.1,2
Itshould bepointed outthatthenotification ofthetreaties mentioned inSection 2below is
motivated byreasons oftransparency only. Italsoconcerns theagreements adopted ortobeadopted
after1January 1995 onthebasis ofthose treaties.
Switzerland reserves theright toremove certain agreements from, orpossibly addcertain
agreements tothelist.
1. Multilateral agreements
1.1 International Convention fortheProtection ofNew Varieties ofPlants of
2December 1961, revised inGeneva on10November 1972 and23October 1978,
inforce forSwitzerland since 8November 1981 (RS0.232.162).
1.2 International Convention fortheUseofAppellations ofOrigin andDenominations
ofCheeses of1June/18 July 1951 (with Protocols) (Stresa Convention)
(RS0.817.142.1).
1Abbreviations used: RS=Recueil systématique; RO=Recueil officiel.
2Thetextsofthese agreements areavailable intheWTO Secretariat forconsultation byinterested delegations.IP/N/4/CHE/1
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2. Customs Union Treaty between Switzerland andLiechtenstein: agreements concluded within
theframework ofthatTreaty
2.1 Treaty of29March 1923 between Switzerland andthePrincipality ofLiechtenstein
uniting thePrincipality ofLiechtenstein withSwiss Customs Territory, inforce since
1January 1924 (Customs Union Treaty) (RS0.631.112.513).3
2.2 Agreements reached pursuant totheCustoms Union Treaty, interalia:
(1) Treaty of22December 1978 between theSwiss Confederation andthePrincipality
ofLiechtensteinontheprotectionconferredbypatentsforinventions(TreatyonPatents)
(RS0.232.149.514).4
(2) Arrangement ontheexecution oftheTreaty between Switzerland andLiechtenstein
onPatents, concluded on10December 1979 andinforce since 1April 1980
(RS0.232.149.514.1).
3. Bilateral agreements onintellectual property
3.1 Convention between Switzerland andGermany of13April 1892 onthereciprocal
protection ofpatents, designs andmarks, inforce since 16August 1894
(RS0.232.149.136).
3.2 Treaty of7March 1967 between theSwiss Confederation andtheFederal Republic
ofGermany ontheprotection ofindications ofsource andother geographical
designations, inforce since 30August 1969 (RS0.232.111.191.36).
3.3 Treaty of9April 1974between theSwiss Confederation andtheSpanish Stateonthe
protection ofindications ofsource, appellations oforigin andsimilar designations,
inforce since 10March 1976 (RS0232.111.193.32).
3.4 Treaty of14May1974between theSwiss Confederation andtheFrench Republic on
theprotection ofindications ofsource, appellations oforigin andsimilar designations,
inforce since 10October 1975 (RS0.232.111.193.49).
3Inaddition totheCustoms Union Treaty of1923, thefollowing instruments arementioned:
(a) Agreement between Switzerland andLiechtenstein of2November 1994 ontheAmendment
oftheTreaty of29March 1923 uniting thePrincipality ofLiechtenstein withSwiss Customs
Territory, inforce since 1May 1995 (RS0.631.112.514; RO1995 IV3825-3826).
(b) Agreement between Switzerland andLiechtenstein of2November 1994 concerning theTreaty
of29March 1923 uniting thePrincipality ofLiechtenstein withSwiss Customs Territory, in
force since 1May 1995 (RS0.631.112.514.6; RO1995 IV3829-3842).
4TheTreaty onPatents wasamended bytheAdditional Agreement of2November 1994 totheTreaty of
22Decemb er1978betweentheSwissConfederationandthePrincipalityofLiechtensteinontheprotectionconferred
bypatents forinventions (Treaty onPatents); itentered intoforce on1May 1995 (RS0.232.149.514.0;
RO1995 IV3820-3822).IP/N/4/CHE/1
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3.5 Treatyof14December1979betweentheSwissConfederationandthePeople'sRepublic
ofHungary ontheprotection ofindications ofsource, appellations oforigin andother
geographical designations, inforce since 14August 1981 (RS0.232.111.194.18).
3.6 Treaty of16September 1977 between theSwiss Confederation andthePortuguese
Republic ontheprotection ofindications ofsource, appellations oforigin andsimilar
designations, inforce since 14May1980 (RS0.232.111.196.54).
3.7 Treaty of16November 1973between theSwiss Confederation andtheCzechoslovak
Socialist Republic ontheprotection ofindications ofsource, appellations oforigin and
othergeographicaldesignations,inforcesince14January1976(RS0.232.111.197.41).
(N.B. TheTreaty hasremained inforce fortheCzech Republic following anexchange
ofnotes on24February 1994; ithasalsoremained inforce fortheSlovak Republic
following anexchange ofnotes on13October/25 November 1994.)
3.8 Federal Council Decree of28January 1908 ontheapplication ofArticle 18ofthe
Federal Lawonpatents forinventions (reciprocity withtheUnited States forthelapse
ofpatents), inforce since 17February 1908 (RS232.149.336).