Since 19 August 2026, The Bahamas officially joined the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), becoming the 159th Contracting State of the international patent filing system administered by WIPO. The accession follows the deposit of the instrument of accession with the World Intellectual Property Organization on 19 May 2026. The accession of The Bahamas further expands the geographical coverage of the PCT, the leading international system used by companies, universities, research institutions and inventors to seek patent protection in multiple countries through a single international patent application.
