Since February 20th, 2018, the CCMM has been recognised as an “International Depositary Authority” (IDA) by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
Microbial resources deposited for patent purposes are not catalogued by CCMM. Samples can still be distributed however, upon written authorisation either by the depositor or an entitled Industrial Property Office, according to the rules of the Budapest Treaty.

Budapest Treaty & Code of Practice for IDAs

To guarantee full disclosure of an invention involving microorganisms, the Budapest Treaty provides for the deposit of (micro)biological material with a recognised culture collection, known as an “International Depositary Authority (IDA)“. An IDA must make the material publicly available at the appropriate point in the patenting procedure.