| Country | WIPO country Code* | Grace Period | Grace Period Description (from WIPO 06/2017)** |
Prior Art Definitions (from WIPO 06/2017)*** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | BH | 12 months before priority/filing | Disclosure not to be taken into account in determining novelty and inventive step if it occurred: (a) by display of the invention at official or officially recognized international exhibitions, provided that the patent application shall include all the details relating to such exhibition; (b) by an action by the applicant or with his authorization within 12 months before the filing date (priority date). | Everything disclosed to the public in or outside the Kingdom of Bahrain by means of written or oral disclosure, use, or any other way by which the subject matter of the invention is realized prior to the filing date (priority date). |
| Barbados | BB | 12 months before priority/filing | Disclosure not to be taken into account in determining novelty and inventive step if it occurred within 12 months before the filing date (priority date): 1. by the applicant or his predecessor in title; 2. due to an abuse by a third party. | Everything disclosed to the public in a tangible form by oral description or other means before the filing date (priority date). |
| Belarus | BY | 12 months before priority/filing |
1. Disclosure not to be taken into account in determining patentability if it occurred within 12 months before the filing date by:
(a) the applicant or inventor; (b) a person who obtained the information from the inventor or applicant. 2. The burden of proof is on the applicant. |
1. Any information made available to the public before the filing date (priority date).
2. While determining the novelty of invention, contents of Belarus patents and applications for inventions and utility models with an earlier filing date (priority date). |
Belgium | BE | 6 months before priority/filing |
1. Disclosure not to be taken into account in determining novelty if it occurred within six months before the filing date due to:
(a) an evident abuse in relation to the applicant or his legal predecessor; (b) display of the invention by the applicant or his legal predecessor at an official or officially recognized international exhibition. 2. The applicant shall state in the application, at time of filing, that the invention has been so displayed, and file a certificate to that effect within a prescribed time limit. |
1. Everything made available to the public by a written or oral description, use or in any other way before the filing date (priority date).
2. Contents of certain subsequently published Belgian, European and international patent applications and Belgian utility model applications with an earlier filing date (priority date). |
Belize | BZ | 12 months before priority/filing |
Disclosure not to be taken into account in determining novelty and inventive step if it occurred within 12 months before the filing date (priority date):
1. by the applicant or his predecessor in title; 2. due to an abuse by a third party. |
Anything disclosed to the public by a written or oral description, use or other means before the filing date (priority date). | Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | BO* | 1 year before priority/filing |
Disclosure not to be taken into account in determining patentability if it occurred within one year before the filing date(priority date) by:
1. the inventor or his successor in title; 2. an Office which incorrectly published the contents of the patent application filed by the inventor or his successor in title; 3. a person who obtained the information from the inventor or his successor in title. |
1. Everything made available to the public by written or oral description, use, commercialization or any other means before the filing date (priority date).
2. Contents of Bolivian patent applications with an earlier filing date (priority date) which are subsequently published or made available for public inspection. |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | BA | 6 months before priority/filing |
1. Disclosure not to be taken into account in determining novelty if it occurred within six months before the filing date due to:
(a) an evident abuse in relation to the patent applicant or his legal predecessor, or (b) display of the invention at an official or officially recognized international exhibition. 2. The applicant shall indicate in the application at time of filing that the invention has been so displayed, and submit a certificate within a prescribed time limit. [Anyone who exhibits an invention at an officially recognized exhibition or fair of international nature may, within three months following the closing date of the exhibition or fair, claim in his application the priority right as of the first day of showing of the invention (exhibition priority rights). |
1. Everything made available to the public by a written or oral description, use or other means before the filing date (priority date).
2. Contents of certain Bosnia and Herzegovina, European and international patent applications with an earlier filing date (priority date) made available to the public on or after that date. |
Brazil | BR | 12 months before priority/filing |
1. Disclosure not to be considered as part of the state of the art if it occurred within 12 months before the filing date (priority date):
(a) by the inventor; (b) publication by the Office of a patent application based on information obtained from the inventor and filed without his consent; (c) by another person based on information obtained from the inventor. 2. The Office may require a statement relating to the disclosure, possibly accompanied by proof. |
1. Everything made accessible to the public by a written or oral description, use or by any other means before the filing date (priority date).
2. Contents of subsequently published Brazilian and certain international patent applications with an earlier filing date (priority date). |
Bulgaria | BG | 6 months before priority/filing |
1. Disclosure not to be taken into account in determining novelty if it occurred within six months before the filing date (priority date) in consequence of:
(a) an evident abuse in relation to the applicant or his legal predecessor; (b) display of the invention by the applicant or his legal predecessor at a official or officially recognized international exhibition. 2. The applicant shall indicate in the application at the time of filing that the invention has been so displayed, and submit evidence within three months from the filing date. |
1. Everything made available to the public by a written or oral description, use or in any other way before the filing date (priority date).
2. Contents of subsequently published Bulgarian, European and international patent applications designating Bulgaria with an earlier filing date (priority date). |
*Not part of PCT
**Source: www.wipo.int/scp/en/national_laws/grace_period.pdf
***Source: www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/scp/en/national_laws/prior_art.pdf
