1) Pharmaceutical products will become patentable on November 1, 2000. In the meantime "black box" filings of applications which will not be granted until after that date will continue. Therapeutic, diagnostic and surgical methods will continue to be unpatentable. In the meantime, exclusive commercialization rights are provided for in accordance with the GATT-TRIPS Agreement.

2) The term of a patent will be 20 years from its filing date as opposed to a maximum of 15 years from grant as at present. This term will apply to all patents and applications that were in force on January 1, 1995. Under the new law annual maintenance fees will be required to keep a patent in force. The old law provided for maintenance fees, but at rates set in 1864 and the Patent Office gave up collecting them years ago. However, this means that the fees set by the new law will apply to patents granted before and after the present amendments take effect.

4) The definition of novelty is amended slightly to make it clear that any form of disclosure of the invention anywhere in the world before the priority date of an application claiming it will be a bar. However, a new grace period of one year prior to the filing date or priority date is provided for disclosures originating from the inventor or those deriving title from him. Contrary to earlier expectations, however, the new law retained the possibility of obtaining protection by way of confirmation patents based on patents granted in other countries.

5) The need for the invention to be non-obvious (display inventive activity) in order to be patentable is made explicit.

6) The provisions relating to compulsory licensing are amended to comply with the requirements of the Paris Convention and the GATT-TRIPS Agreement. In particular, the working requirements may be met by importation of the product protected by the patent.

7) Provision is made for Utility Model protection. Such protection will require local novelty only and need not demonstrate inventive activity. The term of protection will be 10 years from filing, subject to the payment of annual maintenance fees. Conversion of a patent application into a utility model application and vice versa will be possible.