Release of Patent Deposits (Furnishing)

Once a certificate stating acceptance of a patent deposit has been issued, the deposit can be released to the depositor, or to a third party, if certain release conditions are met. Release conditions include either authorisation from the depositor or completion of the relevant European Patent Office (EPO) release forms; these can be obtained from ECACC or NCTC.

The depositor is kept informed of any applications for the furnishing of a patent at all times and can refuse to allow a patent to be furnished to a third party. However, for patents published in the USA/Canada, EPO authorisation may not be required if documentary evidence for the publishing of the patent is available. If this evidence is not available then authorisation from the EPO should be sought.

When the conditions for release have been met, the samples requested can be despatched. Depending upon the recipient’s requirements, ECACC will despatch cultures either in a frozen format or as a growing culture following 2-3 passages in the serum currently in use at ECACC, whilst NCTC will despatch cultures freeze-dried in flame-sealed glass ampoules under vacuum.

Note: For despatch to the USA/Canada and Australia/New Zealand an Import Permit may be required due to the nature of the materials. For despatch of hazardous pathogens outside the EU an export licence may be required at an additional cost.