Act to authorize the United States to participate in chapter II of the Patent Cooperation Treaty 1986

The Patent Cooperation Treaty was amended by Public Law 99-616 on November 6, 1986. This law authorized the United States to participate in chapter II of the treaty, enabling the Patent and Trademark Office to act as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority. The law also made changes to various sections of title 35, United States Code, to implement the treaty's provisions. It came into force on the same day as the effective date of chapter II of the treaty and applies to all international applications pending before or after its effective date.