On 9 September 1994, in Moscow, former Soviet states sign the Eurasian Patent Convention — the treaty establishing the Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO) and the Eurasian patent system.

The convention, a special agreement under the Paris Convention and a regional PCT agreement, provides for a single examination phase and a patent effective in the contracting states. The official language is Russian; EAPO headquarters are in Moscow; the depositary is the WIPO Director-General.

Entry into force: 12 August 1995. Eight states are parties (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan); Moldova later denounced; Georgia and Ukraine did not ratify.

The system began receiving applications in 1996.

For invention protection in the post-Soviet space, 9 September 1994 marks the Moscow signature.

The text is published by EAPO and on WIPO Lex.

The Eurasian Patent Convention of 9 September 1994 remains the regional patent-system milestone.

Image: Moscow; Wikimedia Commons. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Eurasian Patent Convention. Treaty text: WIPO Lex — Eurasian Patent Convention.