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The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today opened its 2024 Global Awards competition, inviting applications from small businesses and startups that use intellectual property (IP) to drive enterprise growth as well as positive societal impact.
WIPO member states have agreed on the Organization’s Geneva headquarters as the site of the final leg of negotiations, from May 13-24, 2024, of a proposed treaty relating to intellectual property, genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.
Two thirds of people questioned in a new global survey have a positive perception of the role that intellectual property (IP) plays in their economies, but younger people still lag in understanding IP, according to WIPO Pulse, a groundbreaking new survey into people’s attitudes toward IP.
World Intellectual Property Organization Director General Daren Tang opened the WIPO Assemblies by outlining the Organization’s growing on-the-ground impact, while calling on delegates to continue working together on two proposed new treaties.
Intellectual property (IP) tools that underpin the global innovation ecosystem will play a critical role in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the U.N. roadmap for a better and more sustainable future, participants heard at an SDG conference co-sponsored by WIPO and Portugal.
Women account for only around one in five designers behind the look and feel of products from simple packaging to mobile phones and automotive exteriors, according to new WIPO data released on World Intellectual Property Day, underlining the need to ramp up efforts to bridge a “gender gap” in intellectual property (IP)-backed innovation.
WIPO has opened the 2023 edition of its Global Awards program, seeking small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) candidates from around the world that use intellectual property (IP)-backed innovation and creativity in an exceptional manner to achieve business goals and improve society.
WIPO today launched the first edition of its “Green Technology Book” focusing on climate-change adaptation – placing these measures on equal footing with mitigation measures.
WIPO member states today approved the convening of diplomatic conferences for two proposed international agreements: one pertaining to the protection of designs to ease cross border trade and a pact related to intellectual property (IP), genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.
Small and medium-sized enterprises from China, Japan, the Netherlands and Singapore are the first-ever winners of WIPO’s new Global Awards program, which recognizes exceptional enterprises and individuals using intellectual property (IP) to make a positive impact at home and abroad.
WIPO Director General Daren Tang opened the WIPO Assemblies with a call for delegates to keep working to transform intellectual property (IP) into a powerful catalyst for jobs, investments, business growth and economic development.
Young people from Syria, Ghana and China won the top three spots in the youth video competition for this year’s World Intellectual Property Day, which carries the theme “IP and Youth Innovating for a Better Future.”
Universities and research organizations filed nearly as many patent applications as corporations for COVID-19 vaccines during the early months of the global pandemic, with China and U.S.-based innovators most actively patenting new anti-COVID19 vaccine and therapeutic technologies, according to a WIPO report on pandemic-era innovation trends released today.
WIPO today launched a new global awards program to recognize enterprises and individuals using intellectual property in an exceptional manner to make a positive impact at home and beyond their own borders.
WIPO today launched a new initiative – the Young Experts Program (YEP) - aimed at forging the next generation of intellectual property leaders.
A range of intellectual property-related indicators showed great resilience despite the economic shock from the COVID-19 pandemic and WIPO's work must evolve to mirror this trend toward the increasing centrality of human innovation and creativity as principal drivers of economic growth, WIPO Director General Daren Tang said in opening the WIPO Assemblies.
WIPO Director General Daren Tang presented member states with the vision for the Organization over the coming half-decade, while projecting a healthy near-term financial position and unveiling new efforts to help ensure intellectual property (IP) and WIPO's work help the world recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Directors General of WHO, WIPO and the WTO, agreed to enhance their support to members battling the pandemic by collaborating on a series of workshops to augment the flow of information on the pandemic and by implementing a joint platform for tripartite technical assistance to member governments relating to their needs for medical technologies. As a result of their meeting on 15 June, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Daren Tang and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala issued the following statement.
Small and medium-sized enterprises take center stage at this year’s celebration of World Intellectual Property Day, with WIPO Director General Daren Tang describing them as the "unsung heroes" of the global economy and an engine for growth in a post-pandemic world.
WIPO Re:Search has welcomed a 150th member to the global network fighting neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), malaria, and tuberculosis (TB), with Colombia's venerable University of Antioquia joining the flagship WIPO public-private partnership.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today announced that its newest digital business service, WIPO PROOF, has received important “trust service provider” certifications from two international organizations that set global technical standards for their domains.
WIPO member states approved the appointment of four Deputy Directors General and four Assistant Directors General proposed by Director General Daren Tang at a Dec. 3, 2020, meeting of the Coordination Committee.
Daren Tang, a national of Singapore, officially assumed his functions as Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization on October 1, 2020, starting a six-year mandate at the helm of the Organization.
Delegates from the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) 193 member states wrapped up their Assemblies meetings with a standing ovation for Director General Francis Gurry, whose second and final term as head of the Organization ends on September 30, 2020.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today launched WIPO Lex-Judgments, a new database providing free-of-charge access to leading judicial decisions related to IP law from around the world.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Francis Gurry opened the WIPO Assemblies on Monday, outlining the Organization's progress during his 12 years as Director General.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today launched "WIPO: AI and IP, A Virtual Experience," an immersive online exhibition using the latest 360 degree scanning technology to foster a more-comprehensive understanding of the relationship between IP policy and AI and the questions facing policymakers.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today ended its Second Session of the Conversation on Intellectual Property (IP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), with Director General Francis Gurry outlining the next steps in a process designed to help clarify the most-pressing IP policy-related questions in the dynamic and fast-growing field of AI.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today published a revised issues paper on intellectual property policy and artificial intelligence (AI) as part of its ongoing consultation with stakeholders on the intersection of AI and IP policy and announced the dates of the rescheduled WIPO Conversation on Intellectual Property (IP) and Artificial Intelligence, which will take place online.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today launched a new online business service, WIPO PROOF, that provides tamper-proof evidence of the existence at a point in time of any digital file, including data sets, in any format.
WIPO today launched a new tool that tracks COVID-19 related intellectual property (IP) policy changes or other measures being implemented by WIPO member states in their response to the global pandemic. This is the latest in a series of measures taken by the Organization in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today announced that it was reserving access to its Geneva, Switzerland, headquarters for personnel essential to the delivery of the Organization’s business continuity protocol, while reassuring that processing of applications filed via WIPO’s Global IP Services has not been affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Coordination Committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has nominated Mr. Daren Tang from Singapore for the post of Director General.
Ten candidatures for the post of Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) were received by 5 p.m. (Geneva time) on December 30, 2019, the deadline fixed for the submission of names.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry has welcomed a fresh contribution of funds from Australia that represents the latest demonstration of the country’s continuing support for projects helping developing and least-developing countries (LDCs) build capacity in the field of intellectual property.
The World Intellectual Property Organization has published the first edition in a new publication series collecting landmark intellectual property judgments from some of the most dynamic litigation jurisdictions around the world.
The 2019 edition of WIPO’s World Intellectual Property Report analyzed millions of patent and scientific publication records across several decades to conclude that innovative activity has grown increasingly collaborative and transnational, while originating in a few large clusters located in a small number of countries.
Delegates from WIPO’s 192 member states closed their 2019 Assemblies meetings with agreement on the Organization’s work program and related budget for the 2020-21 biennium, while WIPO’s intellectual property (IP)-related treaties attracted nearly a dozen new adherents.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry reported excellent results in the Organization’s global intellectual property (IP) services and finances while noting that record demand for IP rights, driven by rapid technological changes, has created increased challenges for the administration of IP in the global economy.
Switzerland is the world’s most-innovative country followed by Sweden, the United States of America (U.S.), the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (U.K.), according to the 2019 edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII), which also identifies regional leaders India, South Africa, Chile, Israel and Singapore, with China, Viet Nam and Rwanda topping their income groups.
World Intellectual Property Day 2019 explores how innovation, creativity and the intellectual property (IP) rights that encourage and protect them support the development and worldwide enjoyment of sports.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Mr. Ramesh Abhishek today opened the 2018 WIPO Conference on the Global Digital Content Market, which is focused on promoting balance between creators and consumers of digital media in an increasingly worldwide economy for cultural products.
Hundreds of experts from across the globe are charting a course toward increased respect for intellectual property (IP) and a better understanding of how cooperation amplifies the role of IP in widespread development.
The WIPO Assemblies meetings ended with robust growth in countries adhering to the treaties that underpin the global intellectual property (IP) system, signaling the strength of multilateral engagement by the membership, while delegates agreed new guidance on WIPO’s future work.
Rapid technological change is driving demand for intellectual property rights and growth in WIPO’s global intellectual property (IP) systems, while IP is increasingly important in policy making and international trade, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said in opening the 2018 WIPO Assemblies.
China broke into the world’s top 20 most-innovative economies as Switzerland retained its number-one spot in the Global Innovation Index (GII) ranking published annually by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Rounding out the GII 2018 top ten: The Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Singapore, United States of America, Finland, Denmark, Germany and Ireland.
The fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and chemistry show the highest rates of women named as inventors in international patent applications filed via WIPO, new figures indicate, as World IP Day 2018 celebrates women driving positive change across the globe.
WIPO member states concluded their annual Assemblies meetings with key agreements that affirm the work of the Organization in advancing an effective and balanced intellectual property system.
Director General Francis Gurry called for greater participation in WIPO’s international patent, trademark and design systems and said the Organization is adapting to new challenges stemming from an accelerating rate of global innovation.
Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, the USA and the UK are the world’s most-innovative countries, while a group of nations including India, Kenya, and Viet Nam are outperforming their development-level peers, according to the Global Innovation Index 2017 co-authored by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
WIPO Re:Search has launched a new five-year roadmap to guide its activities in the fight against neglected tropical diseases, malaria and tuberculosis.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres joined WIPO Director General Francis Gurry in celebrating World Intellectual Property Day 2017, with Mr. Guterres saying that WIPO is at the frontier of knowledge that will determine the future of the international community.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry has welcomed an independent contribution by the Australian Government that has reinvigorated a fund supporting the participation of the world’s indigenous peoples in international negotiations hosted at WIPO.
The World Intellectual Property Organization today announced its new Open Access policy to promote the widest possible public access to its publications, furthering the Organization’s commitment to the dissemination and sharing of knowledge.
New analysis shows that 29% of the international patent applications filed via WIPO in 2015 included at least one woman inventor, compared with 17% in 1995, according to a WIPO study.
The World Intellectual Property Organization has developed a ground-breaking new “artificial intelligence”-based translation tool for patent documents, handing innovators around the world the highest-quality service yet available for accessing information on new technologies.
The World Intellectual Property Organization has launched a first-of-its kind global program in which patent attorneys provide pro bono help to inventors in developing countries who want to file a patent for their invention but lack the means to do so.
Member states agreed to expand a network of overseas offices that promote WIPO services and cooperation around the world, ending the 2016 Assemblies meetings by approving new external offices in Algeria and Nigeria while agreeing to continue discussions on the opening four other offices by end of 2019.
WIPO’s Coordination Committee, the governing body responsible for staff matters, agreed on October 7, 2016, to end their discussions on the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) investigation into allegations against the Director General.
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WIPO Director General Francis Gurry reported excellent results in the Organization’s global intellectual property services and finances over the past year and urged member states to move forward with negotiations on the proposed Design Law Treaty.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry welcomed the entry into force of the Marrakesh Treaty which can now begin boosting the number of specially adapted texts for the benefit of blind and otherwise print-disabled people around the world.
The “books for blind” treaty entered into force on September 30, 2016, three months after it gained the necessary 20 ratifications or accessions by WIPO member states.
China joins the ranks of the world’s 25 most-innovative economies, while Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Finland and Singapore lead the 2016 rankings in the Global Innovation Index, released today by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Canada today became the key 20th nation to accede to the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled, which will bring the Treaty into force in three month’s time on September 30, 2016.
From Shakespeare to selfies, culture has changed over the centuries as creators have adapted new technologies to connect with ever-widening audiences.
But few other shifts have had quite the impact of the digital creation and distribution of art, music, literature and other cultural outputs, which has fashioned new mass audiences while disrupting business models and pressuring many creators’ livelihoods. That’s why World IP Day 2016 is exploring “Digital Creativity: Culture Reimagined.”
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry today opened the WIPO Conference on the Global Digital Content Market, outlining the rising stakes for creators and consumers as new technologies create mass audiences but disrupt business models.
The United States of America (U.S.) extended its long-standing position as the top source of international patent applications via WIPO amid another strong year of worldwide intellectual property (IP) filing growth, as an electronics manufacturer displaced a watch maker as the leading depositor of international industrial design applications.
WIPO Re:Search has now surpassed 100 members and is just shy of 100 agreements to share intellectual property in the fight against neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis and malaria - both significant milestones for the consortium as it heads into its fifth full year of operation.
Japan and the United States lead a small group of nations that are driving innovation in 3D printing, nanotechnology and robotics, three frontier technologies that hold the potential to boost future economic growth, a new WIPO report shows.
Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim and Senegal Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne joined WIPO Director General Francis Gurry in stressing the importance of intellectual property (IP) in incentivizing innovation and creativity to promote economic and social development across Africa.
Capping ten days of deliberations, WIPO member states approved the Organization’s Program and Budget for the two-year period beginning in 2016 and made good progress on a wide range of issues.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry welcomed on October 9, 2015 an Australian contribution of AUD 3 million for projects to help developing and least developing countries (LDCs) build capacity in the field of intellectual property.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry opened the WIPO Assemblies by saying that increasing interest in intellectual property is driving uptake of WIPO’s global IP systems and resulting in a healthy financial state for the Organization.
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States of America are the world’s five most innovative nations, according to the Global Innovation Index 2015 PDF, 2015 Global Innovation Index, while China, Malaysia, Viet Nam, India, Jordan, Kenya, and Uganda are among a group of countries outperforming their economic peers.
In the early 1970s, fans of Bob Marley and the Wailers gathered around record players, 8-track tape decks and cassette players to listen to “Get Up, Stand Up”, which went on to become an international anthem for human rights.
Journalists wishing to cover the Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a New Act of the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration are invited to apply for media accreditation. The diplomatic conference will take place from May 11 to 21, 2015, at WIPO’s Geneva headquarters.
WIPO Re:Search signed on more than a dozen new members in 2014, including two leading pharmaceutical firms, and nearly doubled the number of research agreements using shared intellectual property to promote the fight against neglected tropical diseases, tuberculosis and malaria.
WIPO member states closed their Assemblies meetings late Tuesday after working through a full slate of activities including confirmation of a new senior management team and inauguration of a recently constructed conference hall.
WIPO member states endorsed on Friday proposals by Director General Francis Gurry for a new senior management team, consisting of four deputy directors general and four assistant directors general.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry, high-level members of the Swiss and Geneva governments, and the international intellectual property (IP) community inaugurated WIPO’s new conference hall Monday evening in a celebration that transformed the speakers’ dais into a soundstage featuring globally renowned musicians.
WIPO Director Francis Gurry pledged on Monday to continue to build on the successes achieved over the past six years in the Organization’s core programs – global intellectual property services, policy-making, capacity building, and technical infrastructure.
Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Sweden topped this year’s Global Innovation Index, while Sub-Saharan Africa posted significant regional improvement in the annual rankings published by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry today welcomed the ratification of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances by the People’s Republic of China during an official visit to Beijing at which the Director General also participated in the inauguration of the new WIPO China Office.
The Coordination Committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) nominated by consensus Mr. Francis Gurry for a second term as Director General of WIPO.
Four candidatures for the post of Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) were received by 5 p.m. (Geneva time) on December 6, 2013, the deadline fixed for the submission of names.
WIPO launched today a new online marketplace connecting a wide variety of groups seeking shared innovation and environmentally friendly technologies to address climate change.
Companies around the globe have spent nearly a half-trillion US dollars (USD) annually on branding, exceeding outlays on research and development and design while accounting in some countries for up to a quarter of firms’ overall investments in intangible assets.
The WIPO Assemblies ended late on Wednesday night with agreement on many points on its agenda, but without reaching agreement on some important points, which have now been referred for decision to December 2013, when it was agreed that an extraordinary session of the Assemblies should be convened to consider the outstanding items.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Francis Gurry opened the WIPO Assemblies of member states with a call for better linkages between developing-world creators and the worldwide online marketplace.
Four world-renowned pioneers from the fields of medicine, architecture and industrial design will draw common insights from their varied experiences on September 24, 2013 as they engage with policy makers seeking to ensure a future brimming with game-changing innovation.
The United States rejoined the five most-innovative nations and the United Kingdom moved up to the third spot while Switzerland retained its place atop the rankings in the Global Innovation Index 2013, published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The conventional model for researching and developing new medical and pharmaceutical products is under scrutiny, with new incentives and collaborative innovation models needed to meet evolving market requirements in developed and developing countries amid pressing public-health needs around the world. Where do we go from here?
The theme of this year’s World Intellectual Property Day – Creativity – the next generation –honors the talented and ingenious creators and innovators who are imagining how the world will look tomorrow. Intellectual property offices, associations, businesses and technology institutions and students are organizing numerous activities to mark the day, including competitions, exhibitions and public discussions.
Some twenty African ministers, senior policy makers and entrepreneurs joined President Jakaya Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania and WIPO Director General Francis Gurry at the opening of a two-day conference in Dar es Salaam to discuss the role of intellectual property (IP) in stimulating innovation and development. The conference, organized by WIPO and the Japan Patent Office in cooperation with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, is also addressing the importance of innovation in dealing with some of today’s most pressing global challenges, such as public health, food security and climate change.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry today welcomed a pledge by the Japanese Government to significantly increase its voluntary funding of technical assistance and capacity building resources for countries in the Asia and Pacific region.
One year after its launch, WIPO Re:Search has doubled its membership and resulted in ten research collaborations or agreements. WIPO Re:Search is a consortium where public and private sector organizations share valuable intellectual property (IP) and expertise with the global health research community to promote development of new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics to treat neglected tropical diseases, malaria, and tuberculosis.
The 50th session of Assemblies of WIPO member states reached a breakthrough decision on how to complete negotiations on a pact to improve access to copyrighted works for the many visually impaired or print disabled people around the world.
The determining position of intellectual property (IP) as a driver of innovation and competitive advantage – as evidenced by the growing number of “patent wars” in courts around the world – underlines the need for a rules-based international system aligned with today’s economic and technological realities, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said today.
The United Nations (UN) committee charged with overseeing implementation of Security Council resolutions relating to the Islamic Republic of Iran has confirmed that WIPO technical assistance to the Islamic Republic of Iran does not violate United Nations resolutions.
The United Nations (UN) committee charged with overseeing implementation of Security Council resolutions relating to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has confirmed that WIPO technical assistance to DPRK does not violate United Nations resolutions.
Research to develop treatments for neglected tropical diseases received a boost this month as AstraZeneca concluded agreements through WIPO Re:Search with iThemba Pharmaceuticals (South Africa), the University of California, San Francisco (U.S), and the University of Dundee (UK).
Further to the press statement of July 19, 2012, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry has provided the following update on the actions being undertaken by the Organization in response to the concerns expressed by certain member states in relation to some of WIPO’s technical assistance programs.
Following some recent media attention and requests for information from certain member states relating to WIPO’s technical assistance programs, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry provided the following information and clarifications concerning the actions that have been undertaken, or are being undertaken, by the Organization in relation to the provision of technical assistance to countries that are the subject of United Nations (UN) sanctions.
WIPO will host a panoramic projection of the history of Egypt’s cultural heritage at its Geneva headquarters from July 10 to 20, 2012. Five presentations of the panoramic, interactive presentation, which takes the audience on a journey through time from the Pharaonic Period through contemporary times, will be organized daily.
For the second year running, Switzerland, Sweden, and Singapore lead in overall innovation performance according to the Global Innovation Index 2012 (GII): Stronger Innovation Linkages for Global Growth, published by INSEAD, the leading international business school, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Australia and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today signed an agreement detailing how an AUD$2 million Australian contribution would assist least-developed and developing countries improve their intellectual property systems.
With the aim of further developing the international patent system to better support innovation in economies around the globe, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have agreed on a comprehensive three-year technical co-operation scheme.
This year’s World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 celebrates visionary innovators - individuals whose ingenuity and artistry have broken molds, opened new horizons and made a lasting impact. Across the world, IP Offices, associations, businesses and technology institutions and students are organizing numerous activities to mark the day, including competitions, exhibitions and public discussions.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry met on April 12, 2012 UNIDO Director General Kandeh Yumkella to discuss the strengthening of cooperation between the two organizations in areas relating to science and technology, innovation promotion, private sector development and trade capacity building.
An exhibition showing the intellectual property (IP) behind Steve Jobs’ innovations opens to the public at WIPO on March 30, 2012 and will run through to World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2012. The exhibition ties in with this year’s World Intellectual Property Day theme – Visionary Innovators.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry has welcomed an Australian donation of AUD 2 million for projects to help developing and least developing countries (LDCs) build capacity in the field of intellectual property (IP) and ensure they were in a position to actively participate in the benefits of innovation and the knowledge economy.
The World Intellectual Property Report 2011- The Changing Face of Innovation – a new WIPO publication – describes how ownership of intellectual property (IP) rights has become central to the strategies of innovating firms worldwide. With global demand for patents rising from 800,000 applications in the early 1980s to 1.8 million in 2009, the Report concludes that growing investments in innovation and the globalization of economic activities are key drivers of this trend.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in an unprecedented collaboration with leading pharmaceutical companies and BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH), launched today WIPO Re:Search, a new consortium where public and private sector organizations share valuable intellectual property (IP) and expertise with the global health research community to promote development of new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics to treat neglected tropical diseases, malaria, and tuberculosis.
Representatives of WIPO’s 184 member states, meeting at their annual Assemblies in Geneva from September 26 to October 5, 2011 took a landmark decision to call a diplomatic conference to agree an international treaty on the rights of performers in their audiovisual performances. They took stock of the Organization’s substantive work over the last year, provided direction for the future work program, and approved a program and budget for the Organization for the next biennium (2012/13). WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said this year’s Assemblies were characterized by a remarkable spirit of engagement and commitment by member states to address the pressing intellectual property (IP) issues on the global agenda and hoped this would continue.
Barbara Hendricks, one of the world’s leading opera singers and a best-selling recording artist, joined WIPO Director General Francis Gurry, high-level members of the Geneva and Swiss government, and the international intellectual property (IP) community tonight in inaugurating the new WIPO administration building. The new building, which looks onto Geneva’s Place des Nations, is the work of award-winning Behnisch Architekten of Stuttgart, Germany.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said today that the international intellectual property (IP) community faces three major challenges in the coming years – management of demand of IP applications, the migration of all cultural content to the Internet, and enhancing the capacity of least developed and developing countries to use the IP system for encouraging innovation and creativity. Mr. Gurry said that deep engagement and commitment would be required to address these challenges successfully. Mr. Gurry also welcomed progress in WIPO’s normative agenda, attributing this to closer collaboration and understanding among WIPO’s member states.
An international conference hosted by WIPO on July 11-12 will address the role of innovation and technology in the development and diffusion of green technologies to provide solutions to the challenges posed by climate change. The Conference on Innovation and Climate Change, which brings together major stakeholders – international organizations, government, industry, and civil society – will focus on innovation partnerships between the public and private sector to develop and diffuse relevant technologies. WIPO Director General Francis Gurry and Mr. Luis Alfonso de Alba, Ambassador, Special Representative for Climate Change, Mexico, will open the Conference.
INSEAD, the leading international business school, today announced the findings of The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2011 edition. Switzerland topped this year's GII ranking, gaining three spots from its position in last year’s GII.
Construction work on a new conference hall for WIPO will begin later this summer following the signing this week of a contract with Swiss construction firm Implenia who has been selected by an international jury - composed of representatives of WIPO member states - to serve as general contractor. The conference hall is expected to be completed by mid-2013.
This year’s World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 celebrates the role of design in the market-place, in society and in shaping the innovations of the future. Across the world, IP Offices, associations, businesses and technology institutions have announced –through the WIPO website or through the IP Day Facebook page - numerous activities to mark the day, including competitions, exhibitions and public discussions.
WIPO has responded positively to a request by a group of nine South American countries – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Uruguay – to assist in their efforts to improve services to local and international users of the IP system, initially through sharing patent examination results and other intellectual property (IP) resources.
The second in a series of joint - technical level - symposia organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) will be held at the WHO on February 18, 2011. This meeting, which will be opened by the Directors General of the three co-organizers – Mrs. Margaret Chan, Mr. Francis Gurry and Mr. Pascal Lamy – will be preceded on February 17, 2011 by a workshop at WIPO on patent searches and freedom to operate.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry will be joined by his counterparts at INTERPOL, Mr. Ronald K. Noble, and the World Custom’s Organization (WCO), Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, as well as France’s Minister of Economy, Mrs. Christine Lagarde, at the opening of the Sixth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy in Paris on February 2, 2011 to address the question of building respect for intellectual property in a balanced and sustainable way. A number of ministers from around the world are expected to attend the Congress, in addition to other top government officials and corporate leaders.
During an official visit to Guatemala from December 1-2, 2010, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry met with Vice President Rafael Espada, top Government and IP officials, as well as ministers responsible for intellectual property from six Central American countries.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry met on November 30, 2010 with the President of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Leonel Fernández and addressed an audience of 200 people in the National Palace of the Republic. He focused on the innovation potential of the Dominican Republic and the strong collaborative initiatives that are underway in conjunction with WIPO, including in particular, support in designing and implementing a national innovation and intellectual property strategy, significant office automation and digitization projects, better use of trademarks and appellations of origin, and the development of a Start-up Intellectual Property Academy.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry undertook an official visit to Beijing on November 18-19, 2010 during which he met Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan to discuss a range of issues relating to intellectual property. During his visit, Mr. Gurry also opened a major International Copyright Forum and Expo on music at which he addressed the challenges confronting the music sector in the digital environment. These events were organized by WIPO in cooperation with the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC).
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry concluded a two-day official visit to the Republic of Serbia on October 26, 2010 during which he met a number of high level Government representatives, including Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković. Mr. Gurry and the Prime Minister signed an agreement laying out a framework for collaboration between WIPO and Serbia.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry concluded on October 18, 2010 a two-day official visit to Algeria during which he met with Government Ministers to discuss the role of intellectual property (IP) in stimulating innovation and development and ways to strengthen cooperation between WIPO and Algeria.
WIPO launched on October 1, 2010 a new Customer Service Center as part of its efforts to improve the Organization’s responsiveness to all its stakeholders – including member states, users of its global protection services and the general public. This is also in line with WIPO’s Strategic Realignment Program and contributes to realizing one of the Organization’s four core values, namely service orientation.
Ministers and delegates from WIPO’s 184 member states, meeting at their annual Assemblies in Geneva from September 20 to 29, 2010, endorsed reforms led by Director General Francis Gurry and welcomed the new Medium Term Strategic Plan (MTSP), which sets the broad direction for the Organization through the next five years. The Assemblies had opened with an impassioned call from the legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, urging government representatives to reach agreement on enhanced accessibility of copyright content for persons with physical disabilities.
WIPO has launched IP Advantage, a new database which profiles the intellectual property (IP) experiences of inventors, creators, entrepreneurs, and researchers. This tool aims to promote a better understanding of how IP is created and protected, and how inventors, creators and society at large benefit from the IP system.
WIPO launched on September 20, 2010 WIPO Lex, an on-line global intellectual property (IP) reference resource which provides up-to-date information on national IP laws and treaties. This centralized search facility, which offers a user-friendly interface and functionalities, is in line with one of the Organization’s strategic goals, namely to serve as a world reference source for IP information and analysis.
The role of innovation in promoting economic growth and competitiveness as well as the significant changes in the dynamic global innovation landscape were the focus of remarks by WIPO Director General in his opening statement to the annual meetings of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) which run from September 20 to 29, 2010. Mr. Gurry addressed his remarks to some 70 ministers who will be exploring the theme “Innovation, Growth and Development: The Role of Intellectual Property and Member States’ National Experiences in a two-day high-level ministerial segment.
A new WIPO report analyzing intellectual property (IP) trends in 2008 and 2009 shows that innovative activity and demand for IP rights dipped during the global economic crisis, but began to recover this year.
The annual meetings of WIPO member states begin on September 20, 2010 with a two-day high-level ministerial segment on the theme “Innovation, Growth and Development: The Role of Intellectual Property and Member States’ National Experiences.” Some 70 ministers have confirmed their participation in the event, reflecting the importance of intellectual property (IP) in senior policy-making spheres.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry and the Director General of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Professor Rolf-Dieter Heuer, signed an agreement on August 20, 2010 designed to strengthen collaboration between the two organizations.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry wrapped up a three day official visit to Dhaka on July 20, 2010 during which he held a series of high level meetings, including with the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. Talks focused on ways to enhance cooperation between WIPO and Bangladesh as well as a range of issues of interest to least developed countries as a whole. Mr. Gurry also presented to the Prime Minister the results of a WIPO-commissioned study on traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) of Bangladesh.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry wrapped up an official visit to Ukraine this week (June 29 to July 1, 2010) during which he met a number of high level Government representatives, including Mr. Volodymyr Semynozhenko, Vice Prime Minister and Mr. Dmytro Tabachnyk, Minister for Education and Science.
The WHO, WIPO and the WTO are jointly organizing a Symposium at technical level on Access to Medicines: Pricing and Procurement Practices on July 16, 2010 at the Centre William Rappard in the WTO in Geneva
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry concluded on June 8, 2010 a two-day official visit to Tunisia during which he met Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi to discuss the role of intellectual property (IP) in stimulating innovation and development and ways to strengthen cooperation between WIPO and Tunisia.
WIPO launched on June 1, 2010, WIPO GOLD, a free, on-line global intellectual property (IP) reference resource that provides quick and easy access to a broad collection of searchable IP data and tools relating to, for example, technology, brands, designs, statistics, WIPO standards, IP classification systems and IP laws and treaties.
On the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) on May 22, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry underlined the Organization’s commitment to ensuring that the intellectual property system plays a positive role in safeguarding biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components and the sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
On Saturday, June 5, 2010, which coincides with World Environment Day, WIPO will for the first time open its doors to the public at large. This will provide an opportunity for the Organization to showcase its activities and demonstrate how its work helps contribute to human and social progress.
The critical role of intellectual property as a tool for enabling innovation, the practical transfer of technology and industrial competitiveness were the focus of the remarks of WIPO Director General Francis Gurry to a key meeting of member states of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in Vienna today.
WIPO unveiled its new logo on April 26, 2010 – a date which marks the 40th anniversary of the entry into force of the WIPO Convention and the 10th anniversary of World Intellectual Property Day. The new logo forms the cornerstone of a new visual identity for the Organization, in line with the new directions being taken to keep pace with the rapid evolution of intellectual property in the 21st century.
This year’s World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2010, which also marks WIPO’s 40th anniversary, focuses on how innovation technologies have created an interlinked and global society.
WIPO is to launch the first in a series of seminars on “The Economics of Intellectual Property” on March 26, 2010. The event will feature leading economists from around the world and is designed to stimulate and inform international debate on the linkages between intellectual property (IP) protection and economic development.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry wrapped up an official visit to Japan from March 1 to March 5, 2010, during which he met a number of high level Government representatives, including Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Masayuki Naoshima, and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Koichi Takemasa, as well as Japan Patent Office (JPO) Commissioner Tetsuhiro Hosono.
The importance of intellectual property (IP) in promoting innovation and boosting national economic development in Viet Nam topped discussions between Viet Nam’s President Nguyen Minh Triet and WIPO Director General Francis Gurry in Hanoi this week. Mr. Gurry pledged the Organization’s continuing support in further enhancing Viet Nam’s national IP capacity to innovate and achieve sustained economic growth.
A Florida-based company (“Federated Institute for Patent and Trademark Registry”) was this month found to have violated the state's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act by sending out by mass mail misleading “invoices” to patent and trademark applicants—including users of WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) which facilitates the process of seeking international patent protection.
The Government of Italy announced on December 10, 2009 that it will build on its extra-budgetary contributions to WIPO with an additional one million Euros. The announcement was made by Italy’s Secretary or State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Vincenzo Scotti, and Mr. Giussepe Tripoli, Chief of Department, Ministry of Economic Development at an international conference in Rome, organized jointly by WIPO and Italy’s National Council for Economies and Labor (CNEL) with the participation of CNEL President Antonio Marzano and WIPO Director General Francis Gurry.
Top government officials, business leaders and senior law enforcement authorities meeting in Cancún, Mexico urged national and international political and business leaders to step up actions against counterfeiting and piracy to help boost global economic recovery. The call for increased action came at the close of the Fifth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy held in Cancún from 1-3 December.
Senior decision makers from governments, law enforcement, customs and the private sector are gathering in Cancun for the Fifth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy to identify solutions to the worldwide trade in fake products which pose a threat to health and the global economy.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry, speaking at the opening of the World Trade Organization (WTO) seventh ministerial conference in Geneva on November 30, 2009, underlined the importance of innovation in dealing with some of today’s most pressing global challenges – economic recovery and climate change. He further pledged the Organization’s commitment in assisting countries to develop national innovation strategies.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry wrapped up a five day official visit to New Delhi on November 13, 2009 in which he held a series of high level meetings, including with the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh - that addressed a range of issues of specific interest to India and areas of joint cooperation with WIPO.
At a meeting on October 12, 2009 in Beirut, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry and President Michel Suleiman of Lebanon discussed the pivotal role of balanced national intellectual property (IP) regimes in promoting development, as well as WIPO’s capacity building activities in Lebanon.
WIPO member states, at their annual Assemblies from September 22 to October 1, 2009, signaled strong support for the Organization’s strategic realignment with the endorsement of a program and budget for the 2010/11 biennium that boosts WIPO’s development-related activities, emphasizes the need to advance the Organization’s normative work, and further upgrades its services to the private sector. The member states also agreed to renew the mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property, Traditional Knowledge, Folklore and Genetic Resources (IGC).
Government ministers participating in the first-ever High Level Segment of the Assemblies of the member states of WIPO on September 22 and 23, 2009, endorsed WIPO’s progress toward its strategic goals, which they said marked a new era for the Organization and its ability to ensure that the intellectual property (IP) system helps meet an increasing number of global challenges. They emphasized that IP is now widely perceived as a key policy tool to promote public interest, innovation and technological progress.
In his opening statement to the annual meetings of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Director General Francis Gurry called on member states to work together to ensure that the IP system serves as a stimulus for developing solutions to the global challenges confronting policy makers across the world.
For the first time, the annual meetings of WIPO member states will begin with a two-day high-level ministerial segment reflecting the importance of intellectual property (IP) in senior policy-making spheres. The high-level segment on September 22 and 23, 2009 will bring together over forty ministers who will address national IP priorities.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry welcomed on Friday the adoption of the Global Framework for Climate Services to strengthen production, availability, delivery and application of science-based climate predictions, information and services and underscored the contribution that intellectual property can make in mitigating the climate change.
An international symposium in Geneva on September 17 and 18, 2009 will address the need to improve the interface between national intellectual property (IP) systems to overcome operational inefficiencies arising largely from growing demand for IP rights. The event will foster public-private dialogue and aims to strengthen ties between IP service providers (national IP authorities) and their clients (industry), to highlight the concerns of the user community and the need to re-engineer IP systems to reduce bottlenecks which are slowing the pace of innovation that is key to economic growth.
At a meeting on July 28, 2009, WIPO Director General, Mr. Francis Gurry and the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, discussed issues relating to Asia’s growing importance in the international intellectual property system, WIPO’s capacity building activities in the South East Asian region, climate change and the role of intellectual property, and the role of balanced national intellectual property regimes in promoting development and growth. The Director General and the Prime Minister emphasized the fruitful cooperation between WIPO and Singapore, as evidenced by the recent strengthening of the WIPO Singapore Office.
Ministers from least-developed countries (LDCs), senior government officials and heads of regional intellectual property (IP) organizations reaffirmed their commitment to integrating intellectual property (IP) and innovation strategies into their national development planning during a High Level Forum on the Strategic Use of Intellectual Property for Prosperity and Development organized by WIPO on July 23 and 24, 2009. The ministers also discussed the challenges facing LDCs in this area, in particular the difficulties for LDCs to obtain better access to technological information.
Ministers from least-developed countries (LDCs), senior government officials and heads of regional intellectual property (IP) organizations will meet in Geneva on July 23 and 24, 2009 to discuss IP policy implementation for wealth creation and development in these countries.
The heads of five international organizations joined an international campaign this week to galvanize public support for a successful outcome to UN-sponsored climate change negotiations by signing a global petition addressed to world leaders.
The role of intellectual property (IP) in promoting the development and diffusion of green technologies to combat climate change was at the heart of discussions on Monday July 13, 2009 at a two-day international conference on IP and public policy issues organized by WIPO.
Intellectual property and how it relates to public policy issues, such as health, the environment and food security, will be the focus of discussions at an international conference organized by WIPO on July 13 and 14, 2009 in Geneva.
A key WIPO decision-making body, meeting on June 15-16, 2009, endorsed proposals by Director General Francis Gurry for a new senior management team, consisting of four Deputy Directors General (DDG) and three Assistant Directors General (ADG).
A special task force set up by WIPO Director General Francis Gurry to monitor the progression of influenza A (H1N1), to keep staff informed of the status of the pandemic and to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of all those associated with WIPO’s operations met on June 12, 2009 to take stock of latest developments.
The third meeting of the Global Network of Intellectual Property (IP) Academies (GNIPA) meeting in Munich, Germany, on June 9 and 10, 2009, at the European Patent Office (EPO), agreed to further intensify cooperation among its members. The event provided an opportunity for representatives of IP academies and training and research institutes to review progress on a common action plan, to exchange practical experiences and to share best practices with a view to enhancing IP education and training, and the management of IP Academies.
This year’s World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 focuses on promoting green innovation as a key element in meeting the challenges of climate change In his message to mark the day, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry highlights the contribution that a balanced intellectual property (IP) system can make in enabling the development of technology-based solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change.
The use of intellectual property (IP) assets to raise finance – “IP financing” – will be the subject of an information meeting organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization at its Geneva headquarters on March 10, 2009.
The King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, received on January 14, 2009, the WIPO Global Leader Award in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to promoting intellectual property and his important contribution to society as a prolific inventor. The award was presented by WIPO Director General, Mr. Francis Gurry, at a ceremony at the Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin, Thailand. Members of the Privy Council, ministers, senior officials and a high level WIPO delegation were in attendance.
The approval by Member states of a revised program and budget on December 12, 2008 marked the start of a comprehensive program of strategic change in the direction and work of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) led by Director General Francis Gurry. The process aims to realign WIPO's programs, resources and structures with a new set of strategic goals, so as to enable the Organization to respond more effectively to the rapidly evolving technological, cultural and geo-economic environment.
Portugal’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) will contribute 100,000 Euros in 2009 to support WIPO’s capacity building activities in African Portuguese speaking countries. A memorandum of understanding was signed to this effect on November 26, 2008, in Geneva between WIPO Director General, Francis Gurry and INPI President, Mr. António Campinos.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a unique organization with a unique contribution to make in meeting the global challenges faced by the United Nations (UN) family, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon told WIPO staff during his first ever visit to the Organization’s Geneva headquarters on November 18, 2008.
Geneva and Swiss officials and representatives of member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) joined WIPO Director General Francis Gurry on November 7, 2008 at a ceremony marking the laying of the foundation stone of the new WIPO building project.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr. Francis Gurry, and his counterpart from the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), Mr. Gift H. Sibanda, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on October 2, 2008 in Geneva, to strengthen and expand cooperation between the two organizations. The MOU covers traditional areas of cooperation relating to capacity building, as well as a special project to boost ARIPO’s patent information capacity.
Topped by the appointment of Mr. Francis Gurry as the next Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the WIPO Assemblies concluded a day ahead of schedule, on Tuesday, September 29, 2008, following a review of activities over the past year and discussions on the Organization’s future work program. The WIPO Assemblies bring together the 184 member states of the Organization.
The General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), meeting from September 22-30, 2008, opened today with the appointment by acclamation of Mr. Francis Gurry as Director General and the Director General-elect outlining his priorities for the Organization (please see PR/2008/564). Mr. Gurry joined the Chairman of the WIPO General Assembly, Ambassador Martin I. Uhomoibhi, who is also Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, as well as delegates in paying tribute to outgoing Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, for his 25-year long career at WIPO.
The General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) appointed by acclamation on September 22, 2008, Mr. Francis Gurry, a national of Australia, as Director General of WIPO for a six-year term that begins on October 1, 2008 and runs through September 2014. Member states as a whole congratulated Mr. Gurry on his appointment and highlighted his wealth of experience in intellectual property and the professionalism that he brings to this position.
A two-day Inter-Regional Forum on Development and Service-Oriented Intellectual Property (IP) Administration, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on July 1 and 2, 2008, held intensive discussions on the intellectual property (IP)-related institutional and policy challenges, opportunities and reforms in the context of overall national development strategies with a view to making a positive and tangible contribution to social, cultural and economic development. The Forum was the first of its kind to take an in-depth look at the needs and expectations of IP administrations of all countries.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) attending the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) in Geneva from June 23 to 26, 2008, began a comprehensive review of issues relating to the international patent system. The meeting was attended by 85 member states and 24 observer delegations and was chaired by Mr. Maximiliano Santa Cruz of Chile.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, met with the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Kurmanbek Bakiev, during an official visit to that country on June 16 and 17, 2008 to mark the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Kyrgyz State Patent Service. Dr. Idris also met with the Prime Minister, Mr. Igor Chudinov and a number of senior representatives from government and academia.
The Coordination Committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) nominated Mr. Francis Gurry, a national of Australia, to become the next Director General of WIPO. The candidate will have to be appointed by the WIPO General Assembly at its next meeting, which is scheduled from September 22 to 30, 2008.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reinforced its cooperation with the Republic of Ghana with the signing on May 7, 2008 of an intellectual property (IP) development plan which aims to build the country’s capacity to create, protect and utilize IP as a power tool for economic growth and development. The IP Development Plan also seeks to ensure that the IP offices and potential users of the IP system - such as universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), chambers of commerce and industry, research and development institutions and copyright organizations - have the technical capacity to use the intellectual property system. The agreement was signed, on behalf of the Republic of Ghana, by H.E. Joe Ghartey, Attorney General and Minister for Justice.
This year’s World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2008 focuses on celebrating innovation and promoting respect for intellectual property (IP). In his message to mark the eighth World IP Day, Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), highlights the intrinsic link between creativity, innovation and IP. Dr. Idris pays tribute to inventors around the world who have driven technological advances and enriched our collective cultural heritage.
The fifteen candidates for the post of Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) met with representatives of member states on April 14, 2008, each outlining his or her respective platform and responding to pre-submitted questions from the different regional groups. The Chairperson of the Coordination Committee - following informal consultations last month with representatives of the 83 member body that will nominate a candidate in May for appointment to this position by the WIPO General Assembly in September 2008 - decided on arrangements for the one day informal meeting to give an opportunity for candidates to present themselves and respond to questions.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presented two awards at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions on April 4, 2008, as part of the Organization’s commitment to promoting recognition of inventors worldwide.
A one-day meeting of an extraordinary session of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Assemblies on March 31, 2008 ended with agreement to adopt the Organization’s program and budget for 2008/09, as well as a 5% decrease in fees paid for international patent applications.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, today hailed the 125th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. The so-called “Paris Convention” was signed in the French capital on 20 March, 1883 and is widely considered as the cornerstone of the international industrial property system. One of the main features of the treaty is that it establishes international standards requiring countries to apply the same level of protection to nationals of other contracting parties as they apply to their own nationals.
As a response to the growing demand from the business community for executive programs on intellectual property (IP) management, the WIPO Worldwide Academy and the Kellogg School of Management - a leading business school - have teamed up for the second year running to offer the 2008 executive program on "Strategies for Management of Intellectual Property". This year’s program will be held at the Kellogg Campus in Chicago from June 9 to 12, 2008.
WIPO Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris met, on Thursday, 6 March 2008, with a high-level Ghanaian delegation led by H.E. Mr. Ambrose Dery, Minister of State, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Department of the Republic of Ghana, to discuss the use of intellectual property (IP) as a strategically important tool for development and on ways in which WIPO could further support Ghana in promoting effective utilization of the IP system for development.
Business managers and senior executives and corporate strategists can register on-line at http://www.wipo.int/academy/en/execed/sipm/za_apr_08/index.html to participate in the first executive program on strategic intellectual property (IP) management to be held in Africa. The course, which will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, on April 15 and 16, 2008 is being organized by the Worldwide Academy of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in cooperation with the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, one of Africa’s leading business schools.
Fifteen candidatures for the post of Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) were received by 5 p.m. (Geneva time) on February 13, 2008, the deadline fixed for the submission of names. The WIPO Coordination Committee, which is composed of 83 member states, will meet on May 13 and 14, 2008 to nominate a candidate for appointment to this position by the WIPO General Assembly, which is scheduled from September 22 to 30, 2008.
Two contracts relating to the construction of a new administrative building to extend the premises of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) headquarters in Geneva, were signed on Friday, February 8, 2008, with the Swiss firm Implenia Entreprise Générale SA, as general contractor, and a syndicate of two banks: Banque Cantonale de Genève and Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, for part of the project’s financing. The construction of the new administrative building, comprising 560 work places, will start along the Route de Ferney in early April 2008.
Top government officials, business leaders and senior law enforcement authorities today urged national and international political leaders to engage in the battle against counterfeiting and piracy. The call for increased action came at the close of the Fourth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy held in Dubai from 3-5 February 2008. The international event brought together over 1,200 delegates from 90 countries and was held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai. The event was hosted by Dubai Customs and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
More than 500 senior decision-makers from 70 countries convened today in Dubai to identify solutions to the escalating global problem of product counterfeiting and piracy of intellectual property and to put an end to the damaging effects it is having on consumer health and safety, government resources and revenues, innovation and foreign investment.
At the request of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has offered its expertise and technical input on patent issues as they relate to influenza viruses and their genes. A technical WIPO report on this question (http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/lifesciences/ip_health.html) will serve as one input to WHO’s Intergovernmental Meeting on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Sharing of Influenza Viruses and Access to Vaccines and other Benefits, which will meet in Geneva from 20-23 November 2007.
The effectiveness of enforcing intellectual property (IP) rights under criminal law was the focus of discussions at a meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Advisory Committee on Enforcement (ACE) in Geneva from November 1 to 2, 2007. The Committee heard presentations on the criminal enforcement of IP laws in various jurisdictions and considered issues such as the scope and definition of IP crimes, investigation and initiation of criminal proceedings, jurisdiction, means of streamlining proceedings, evidentiary issues, sentencing options and level of penalties.
Contributions by the Government of Italy in the framework of a recently-concluded agreement with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have reached 600,000 Euros. The most recent contribution amounting to 300,000 Euros was communicated to WIPO on October 24, 2007 and comes from the Directorate General for Cooperation to Development (DGCS), Ministry for Foreign Affairs. This contribution follows the signing, last month, of an agreement between WIPO Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, and Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Massimo D'Alema, which strengthens Italy’s commitment to consolidating and reinforcing its contribution to the activities of WIPO. The agreement formalizes Italy’s long-standing support of WIPO’s activities relating to economic development, and makes Italy one of the largest contributors of extra budgetary resources to WIPO.
The Assemblies of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) concluded on Wednesday, October 3, 2007, following a review of activities over the past year and discussions on the Organization’s future work program. The WIPO Assemblies bring together the 184 member states of the Organization. The WIPO General Assembly was chaired by Ambassador Martin I. Uhomoibhi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations in Geneva.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have agreed to continue accelerated work on intellectual property (IP) and traditional knowledge, genetic resources and folklore/traditional cultural expressions (TCEs), with a focus on the international dimension. The General Assembly extended the mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) for two years. While recognizing the solid work done to date, they have pledged to work towards greater convergence on the issues.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Dr. Kamil Idris, welcomed a decision by WIPO member states on Friday, September 28, 2007 to adopt a Development Agenda consisting of a series of recommendations to enhance the development dimension of the Organization’s activities. The recommendations include a set of 45 agreed proposals covering six clusters of activities including Technical Assistance and Capacity Building; Norm-setting, Flexibilities, Public Policy and Public Knowledge; Technology Transfer, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Access to Knowledge; Assessments, Evaluation and Impact Studies; Institutional Matters including Mandate and Governance.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, called on member states on Wednesday to continue to build on progress made by the Organization to ensure that the intellectual property (IP) system fully contributes to wealth creation and the socio economic development of all nations. This came at the close of a general debate by the WIPO General Assembly on the results-based Program Performance Report of the Organization for 2006. The meetings of WIPO Assemblies are taking place from September 24 to October 3, 2007.
An exhibition showcasing various facets of creativity in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) was inaugurated on Monday evening at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), coinciding with the opening day of the annual session of the WIPO Assemblies. The exhibition, "HK Creativity – Intellectual Property in Hong Kong, China," has been organized jointly by WIPO and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, in cooperation with the Government of the Hong Kong SAR.
A three year project funded by the Geneva International Academic Network (GIAN) and coordinated by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has developed a model to enhance the capacity of health research institutes in developing countries to leverage the value of their research results through strategic management of their intellectual property (IP) assets. It has already led to the filing of patents for cancer-related treatments in participating countries.
The World Intellectual Property Organization has launched another workbook in its series of publications for school children entitled “Learn from the Past, Create the Future”. The latest workbook, “The Arts and Copyright”, offers teachers and students an engaging and informative account of the principles of copyright law and uses a wealth of colorful examples to demonstrate how copyright and related rights work in practice to protect and encourage creativity.
“IP PANORAMA”, an advanced e-learning tool on intellectual property (IP) for business, is now publicly available from the website of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) at http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/multimedia/ and from the website of the IP Academy (http://www.ipacademy.net/ipeng/) which is operated by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and the Korea Invention Promotion Association (KIPA). IP PANORAMA was developed jointly by WIPO, KIPO, and KIPA under a project entitled, ‘The Joint Development of E-learning Content’ from 2004 to 2007.
The meetings of the Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which bring together WIPO’s 184 member states, opened on September 24, 2007 with the election of Ambassador Martin I. Uhomoibhi, Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations in Geneva as Chairman of the WIPO General Assembly. The meeting of WIPO Assemblies, which run from September 24 to October 3, 2007, will take stock of progress in the Organization’s work and discuss future policy directions.
An exhibition showcasing various facets of creativity in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) will open at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on September 24, 2007, coinciding with the opening day of the annual session of the WIPO Assemblies. The exhibition, "HK Creativity – Intellectual Property in Hong Kong, China," has been organized jointly by WIPO and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, in cooperation with the Government of the Hong Kong SAR.
The role of intellectual property (IP) in developing and sustaining competitive commercial advantage was the focus of the third executive business program offered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Worldwide Academy, in Geneva, from September 17 to 19, 2007. The three-day course, entitled “Strategic Intellectual Property Management” brought together 40 senior executives from 32 businesses, research and development (R&D) and academic organizations in 20 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have reviewed joint cooperation activities over the past year and explored further possibilities in enhancing the capacity of member nations to better exploit the intellectual property (IP) system for economic, social and cultural development. This came at the XIIth meeting of the WIPO – ASEAN Cooperation Program in the field of Intellectual Property, held on September 19, 2007. The Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, led the WIPO delegation and Ambassador Karen Tan, Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Permanent Mission of the Republic of Singapore, Geneva, led the ASEAN delegation, in her capacity as current Chair of the ASEAN Geneva Committee (AGC).
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, met on September 20, 2007 with the Ambassadors and senior officials of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries represented in Geneva to review cooperation between the two organizations and to share views on ways to enhance cooperation in the field of intellectual property. The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Idris and Ambassador Swashpawan Singh, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in Geneva, who is currently chairing the SAARC Group in Geneva.
Talks between the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, and a delegation of senior Yemeni officials led by the Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Republic of Yemen, Dr Yahia Al Mutawakil, on September 12, 2007, focused on the strategic importance of intellectual property in today’s knowledge economy and explored ways to further strengthen cooperation between Yemen and WIPO.
The fifth annual WIPO Forum on Intellectual Property (IP) and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) for IP Offices and other relevant institutions in the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), meeting at the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on September 13 and 14, 2007, urged WIPO to continue and expand its awareness raising and capacity building on IP for entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises. The Forum also requested WIPO to enlarge its focus to include business aspects of IP for students following courses in a range of disciplines, including, IP law, business, engineering, and technology management.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Massimo D'Alema, signed an agreement in Rome on September 10, 2007, which strengthens Italy’s commitment to consolidate and reinforce its contribution to the activities of WIPO. The agreement formalizes Italy’s long-standing support of WIPO’s activities relating to economic development, and makes Italy one of the largest contributors of extra budgetary resources to WIPO.
The second in a series of public symposia on the life sciences and intellectual property will be held on Wednesday, September 19, 2007, at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and will address current issues in intellectual property and public health, an area that has sparked international debate and attention in recent years.
Geneva-based Permanent Representatives members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) attended a retreat organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on September 5, 2007 for an in-depth review of topical issues on the international intellectual property agenda. The meeting provided a forum for representatives of the OIC group to exchange views on matters of particular interest to their economic development.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is organizing a series of symposia in the coming months, at its Geneva headquarters, to clarify the intellectual property (IP) dimension in the life sciences. They are addressed to a wide range of stakeholders, including international policymakers, government agencies, legislators, delegates, private sector and civil society actors.
Finance executives, managers and analysts can, from August 1, 2007, register on-line at www.wipo.int/academy/en/execed to participate in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Executive Program on Strategic Intellectual Property (IP) Finance, which will be held at WIPO headquarters, in Geneva, from November 12 to 15, 2007.
A combination of strong demand for WIPO’s services to the private sector and strict budgetary discipline means that the financial situation of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is strong and has led to a situation where available reserve funds have exceeded a target level established by member states. The Program and Budget Committee (PBC) will make its final recommendation in early September to the annual session of the WIPO Assemblies, which will meet from September 24 to October 3, 2007, on options to use these available reserve funds. Also, work on the construction project for a new administrative building for WIPO is set to begin early 2008. The deadline for the submission of bids for a general contractor was July 23, 2007.
Talks between the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, and a delegation of senior Bahraini officials led by the Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Dr. Hassan A. Fakhro, on July 19, 2007, focused on the strategic importance of intellectual property in today’s knowledge economy and explored ways to further strengthen cooperation between WIPO and Bahrain.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, met with the Prime Minister of Tunisia, Mr. Mohamed Ghannouchi, to explore ways to further strengthen cooperation between WIPO and the Government of Tunisia in the field of intellectual property during an official visit to Tunisia on July 11 and 12, 2007.
The huge economic potential of the creative industries was at the heart of talks between the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris and the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Georgi Parvanov, in Sofia on July 5, 2007. Discussions focused, in particular, on the dynamism of the creative industries sector and its potential to generate employment and promote trade and wealth creation. Discussions also underlined the strategic importance of intellectual property in the development of both the creative industries sector and the national economy in general.
An International Symposium on Geographical Indications (GIs) is being jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing, from June 26 to 28, 2007.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, met on June 15, 2007 the President of the sixty-second session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Dr. Srgjan Kerim, who previously served as foreign minister of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Discussions focused on the importance of intellectual property (IP) as a tool for development and wealth creation.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, and the President of the Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI), Mr. Martín Michaus, met at WIPO’s Geneva headquarters on June 12, 2007 to review bilateral cooperation and outline a program of joint activities for ASIPI member states.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, met with the President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Н. Е. Mr. Branko Crvenkovski on May 2, 2007, for talks on the strategic importance of intellectual property in promoting economic development and wealth creation. The Director General also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Antonio Milososki, the Minister of Culture, Mr. Arifhikmet Dzemaili, the Minister of Justice, Mr. Mihajlo Manevski and other top officials during his visit which focused on ways to further strengthen bilateral relations between the country and WIPO. In addition, the Director General received an honorary doctorate degree from the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in recognition of his contribution to the promotion of intellectual property as a tool for development.
The State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) became on May 1, 2007, the most recent office to introduce software that enables electronic filing of international patent applications under the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the cornerstone of the international patent system which offers a rapid, flexible and cost-effective way to obtain patent protection in up to 137 countries.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, received on April 28, 2007 an Honorary Doctorate of Law degree from Sudan’s leading academic institution, the University of Khartoum, for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of intellectual property as a tool for development and in recognition of dedicated service to his country, Sudan. The degree was presented to the Director General by Mr. Ali Osman Mohamad Taha, Vice President of the Republic of Sudan, in the presence of a number of ministers, including the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Peter Niyot Kot, and other top Government and University officials, foreign diplomats and students.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, met with the Prime Minister of Swaziland, His Excellency, Mr. A.T. Dlamini, on Monday April 30, 2007 for talks on the strategic importance of intellectual property in promoting wealth creation, social development and cultural enrichment in Swaziland, as well as cooperation for development activities.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presented on Friday evening, April 20, 2007, two awards to inventors at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions as part of the Organization’s commitment to promoting innovation and recognition of inventors worldwide.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) will present Intellectual Property (IP) Panorama, an interactive and user-friendly multimedia product which provides business-oriented explanations of different aspects of intellectual property (IP) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), at the 35th International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques and Products of Geneva, from April 18 to 22, 2007.
The University of Al Gezira presented on April 2, 2007 an honorary doctorate degree to the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, for his contribution to the promotion of intellectual property as a tool for economic, social and cultural development.
Top government officials, business leaders, and international law enforcement officials together hailed the increased level of international cooperation in combating counterfeiting and piracy. They called for an even greater marshalling of efforts and resources to counter the escalation in this illicit trade which threatens consumer health and safety and undermines economic development. This came at a high-level international gathering of public and private sector organizations hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva on January 30 and 31, 2007.
Top government officials, business leaders, and consumer groups will address the far-reaching and devastating impact of counterfeiting and piracy at a meeting in Geneva on January 30 and 31, 2007 hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The Third Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy (http://www.ccapcongress.net), a partnership between public and private sector organizations, is being convened by WIPO, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the World Customs Organization (WCO), under the banner "Shared Challenges-Common Goals.
The WIPO Appeal Board (the "Board") regrets the references in the articles in Le Matin of December 2, 2006, and in 20 Minutes on December 4, 2006, to the confidential deliberations in the case in question. The Board is bound by the confidential nature of its deliberations and therefore is not allowed to reveal details concerning this or other cases. The Board wishes to state that it was neither consulted nor has it given any information to the media.
Thirty-six post-graduate students from around the world undertook a study visit to the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) from November 20 to 24, 2006, to acquire first hand knowledge of the latest developments in the field of intellectual property (IP) and to gain insights into the processes relating to the establishment and implementation of international IP laws.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) registered this week the 900,000th mark under the Madrid system for the international registration of trademarks, a user-friendly and cost-effective system for the international registration of marks. At the current rate of growth, it is anticipated that the one millionth mark under the Madrid system will be reached in 2009. The 900,000 milestone was a trademark registered by a Chinese company seeking protection in ten countries on four continents.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, has pledged the Organization's continuing support to Uruguay in further reinforcing its intellectual property system. In talks with Uruguay's Vice President Mr. Rodolfo Nin Novoa and a delegation of the Uruguayan Parliament in Geneva on October 16, 2006, Dr. Idris welcomed Uruguay's efforts to modernize its intellectual property framework and other initiatives to ensure that the vast human capital of the nation is best exploited for economic growth and development. In this context, a memorandum of understanding was signed to build on WIPO's existing cooperation with Uruguay.
The Assemblies of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) concluded on Tuesday, October 3, 2006, following a review of activities over the past year and agreement on future work. The WIPO Assemblies bring together the 183 member states of the Organization. The WIPO General Assembly was chaired by Ambassador Enrique Manalo, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva.
A unique exhibition showcasing Colombia's dynamic arts and crafts sector opened on Monday evening, September 25, 2006, at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), coinciding with the opening day of the annual session of the WIPO Assemblies. The exhibition, "Arts and Crafts of Colombia," has been organized jointly by WIPO and the Colombian Government and highlights a colorful and vibrant sector of the Colombian economy.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, has pledged the Organization's support to Haiti in modernizing its intellectual property (IP) infrastructure. This came during a meeting in Geneva on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the WIPO Assemblies, between Dr. Idris and Haiti's Minister of Culture and Communication, Mr. Daniel Elie, in which the Minister informed the Director General of his Government's commitment to upgrade the IP infrastructure in Haiti and join an agreement established between WIPO and several Caribbean countries in December 2003.
The meetings of the Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which bring together WIPO's 183 member states, opened on Monday with emphasis by the Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, on the Organization's commitment to inclusion and excellence in the provision of intellectual property services. The meetings, which run from September 25 to October 3, 2006, will take stock of progress in the Organization's work and discuss future policy directions. Dr. Idris urged delegates to work together in a spirit of "goodwill, commitment and cooperation."
Senior executives, including several presidents, chief executive officers (CEOs) and executive directors from business organizations in over 20 countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas, participated in the first open enrolment executive program - "Strategic Intellectual Property Management" - which was held at WIPO's headquarters in Geneva on September 18 and 19, 2006.
A unique exhibition showcasing Colombia's dynamic arts and crafts sector will open at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on September 25, 2005, coinciding with the opening day of the annual session of the WIPO Assemblies. The exhibition, "Arts and Crafts of Colombia," has been organized jointly by WIPO and the Colombian Government and highlights a colorful and vibrant sector of the Colombian economy.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held talks with senior Spanish and European officials in Madrid on September 7, 2006 and participated in the inauguration of new premises of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office in the heart of Madrid's financial district.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) launched the sixth session of the Master of Laws (LLM) in Intellectual Property, a joint post-graduate program in intellectual property (IP) offered by the WIPO Worldwide Academy, the University of Turin and the International Labour Organisation, International Training Center (ILO-ITC) on September 4, 2006, at the ILO-ITC in Turin, Italy with 38 students from across the globe participating in the 2006/2007 program.
At a meeting in Geneva, the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, and H.E. Mr. Ben Abdallah, Morocco's Minister for Information, agreed on Tuesday, June 27, 2006, to further strengthen cooperation between the Organization and the Government to enhance the intellectual property infrastructure in Morocco for the benefit of economic, social and cultural development.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Government of Singapore agreed on Monday, June 26, 2006, to further expand and strengthen cooperation in fostering the creation, protection, management and use of intellectual property (IP) during talks at WIPO's Geneva headquarters between Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General, and Ms. Chan Lai Fung, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Law, Government of Singapore. This agreement was formalized by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which consolidated the previous two MOUs that existed between the Government of Singapore and WIPO and further broadened the scope and nature of cooperation in promoting IP awareness and strengthening IP capabilities in developing countries, including least developed countries, in Asia and Pacific region.
The Advisory Board of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Worldwide Academy (WWA) met in Geneva on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 to take stock of the Academy's activities over the last four years and discuss future challenges. The Board endorsed a number of future WWA initiatives , including the launch of a Master's course on international intellectual property (MIIP), greater diversification of the distance learning program and increased partnerships with academic institutions. The Academy was established by WIPO Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, in 1998 as a specialized institution for intellectual property (IP) education and a hub for expanding the network of IP educational institutes around the globe.
A key decision-making body of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) approved on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 proposals by the Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, for a new senior management team (http://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/govbody/en/wo_cc_54/wo_cc_54_2-main1.doc), consisting of four Deputy Directors General (DDG) and three Assistant Directors General. With the exception of one DDG appointment these posts have been filled from within the Organization to allow for continuity in the management structure.
In response to growing demand for quality intellectual property (IP) education from businesses around the world, the Worldwide Academy of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will launch a new study program for business executives. The Executive Program, which supplements a number of programs that focus on human capital development, will offer world class business-oriented IP education and foster interdisciplinary teaching and research in business and management aspects of IP. The first open enrolment program - 'Strategic Intellectual Property Management' - will be held at WIPO's headquarters in Geneva on September 18 and 19, 2006.
The need to heighten awareness of the negative impact of counterfeiting and piracy and to build support for global enforcement efforts was at the core of discussions at a meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Advisory Committee on Enforcement (ACE) in Geneva from May 15-17, 2006. Among the top officials addressing the Committee were Mr. Datuk Hj. Mohd Shafie bin Hj. Apdal, Minister, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Senator Colin Derrick, Minister for Justice, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda, Mr. Ion Codescu, Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice, Romania, and Mr. Fadi Makki, Director General/Advisor to the Prime Minister, Lebanon.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) agreed last week on a way forward in addressing questions relating to updating the rights of broadcasting organizations by following a parallel process in dealing with questions relating to traditional broadcasting and cablecasting organizations and the issues of webcasting and simulcasting. At the end of the week-long meeting in Geneva, from May 1 to 5, 2006, member states agreed to hold an additional meeting of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) ahead of the annual meeting of the WIPO General Assembly to further strengthen consensus on questions relating to the rights of traditional broadcasters and cablecasters. In that context the General Assembly in autumn 2006 would be able to recommend the convening of a diplomatic conference to conclude a treaty in 2007. Member states agreed that the questions of webcasting and simulcasting would continue to be examined by a meeting of the SCCR after the General Assembly.
The power of ideas as the seedbed for innovation and creativity is theme of this year's World Intellectual Property (IP) Day on April 26, 2006. In his message to mark the sixth World IP Day, Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), emphasized the limitless value of ideas in inspiring the work of inventors and creators from which we all ultimately benefit. He said that "World Intellectual Property Day is an occasion to reflect on how human creativity and innovation help provide a better world for everyone". Dr. Idris released the following message:
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presented on Friday, April 7, 2005, two awards to inventors at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions as part of the Organization's commitment to promoting innovation and recognition of inventors worldwide. The distinctions were presented to the best invention by a woman and the best invention by a national from a developing country. This is the twenty-sixth consecutive year in which WIPO has presented awards at the Geneva fair.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, in an official visit to the Republic of Korea on March 15 and 16, 2006, congratulated top officials on the country's use of the intellectual property (IP) system as a strategic tool for development and wealth creation. In an intensive round of high-level meetings, Dr. Idris addressed a number of bilateral matters including the emergence of the Republic of Korea as a major user of the international patent system and applauded Seoul's commitment to the promotion and protection of IP rights.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, met with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on March 3, 2006 to discuss a number of bilateral issues and the importance of intellectual property as a strategic tool for development and wealth creation. The meeting took place following talks with the Cabinet of Ministers and the signing of a cooperation program between WIPO and the Government of Azerbaijan. Dr. Idris was also awarded an honorary degree of Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Azerbaijan during his official visit to Baku.
Discussions on establishing a development agenda for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have moved forward, with member states agreeing to structure their future work under six main themes. The Provisional Committee on Proposals related to a WIPO Development Agenda which was established by the WIPO General Assembly in autumn 2005 to accelerate and complete discussions on this matter, met from February 20 to 24, 2006, and was chaired by H.E. Ambassador Rigoberto Gauto Vielman of Paraguay. The Committee was attended by ninety eight member states and forty eight observers.
A two-day High Level Forum on Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in cooperation with the Japan Patent Office (JPO) in Tokyo, on January 26 and 27, 2006, held intensive discussions on IP policies and their role in promoting development. The Forum brought together some 130 senior intellectual property policy-makers from 37 countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Arab region, and a number of industrialized countries as well as representatives from the private sector and academia. The meeting provided a useful opportunity to gain insights through shared experiences and views on ways to ensure that the formulation and implementation of IP policies resulted in a virtuous cycle of creation, commercial use, and protection of innovative goods and services.
The year 2005 saw a significant number of accessions or ratifications to treaties administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO and the entry into force of a new international instrument relating formal patent procedures reflecting continuing commitment by member states in enhancing intellectual property legislation at the national level. In 2005, 45 instruments of accession or ratification of treaties administered by WIPO were deposited with the Director General of WIPO, Dr. Kamil Idris.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), meeting in the Program and Budget Committee (PBC) from January 11-13, 2006 took a number of decisions relating to the work of the Organization. The PBC agreed with the proposal of the WIPO secretariat that the recommendation of the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) on budget transfers should be adapted to the specific needs of WIPO and that this decision should not be applied before the 2008/09 biennium and after the completion of the desk-to-desk review of the human and financial resources of the Organization.
Ernst & Young, the international audit and consultancy firm, has submitted its report to the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris. The firm was requested by the Director General last September to conduct an independent external review, under the supervision of WIPO's External Auditor, the Swiss Federal Audit Office, into allegations concerning WIPO.
Some 200 representatives from the world's leading fashion houses, and government, academic and trade circles, from 40 countries gathered in Caserta, Italy this week to highlight the importance of the intellectual property (IP) system in enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in the textile and clothing sectors. The international symposium, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), from November 30 to December 2, 2005, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Productive Activities (Italian Patent and Trademark Office) and the Institute for Industrial Promotion (IPI), reviewed the status of the textile and clothing sectors and stressed the importance of the tools of the IP system to these sectors whose success strongly depends on technological innovation, innovative designs and creativity expression.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) advanced its work towards development of a treaty to update intellectual property (IP) standards for broadcasters in the digital age, at a meeting of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) in Geneva from November 21 to 23, 2005. Mr. Jukka Liedes of Finland, Chairman of the SCCR highlighted the "high quality debates ... now higher than ever" and said that "there is today a much greater understanding of the concepts and issues contained in a second Revised Consolidated Text of treaty proposals.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) examined on Monday, the impact of the copyright system on the use of protected works for educational purposes in both the analog and digital environments, particularly in developing countries. The meeting took place at the beginning of deliberations by the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) which is being held in Geneva from November 21 to 23, 2005.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, has pledged the Organization's continued support to Colombia in modernizing its intellectual property (IP) infrastructure. This came during a meeting in Bogota, with the President of Colombia, Mr. Alvaro Uribe Velez and senior officials. During his visit on November 7 and 8, 2005, Dr. Idris also met with representatives of the private sector and academia.
An "African Regional Workshop on IP Office Automation" organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Harare from October 31 to November 2, 2005 took stock of the Organization's efforts to assist intellectual property offices (IPOs) in automating their operations under its "IP Office Services Support (IPOSS) Program." Organized in coordination with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), this event, the first of its kind in the region, brought together representatives of IPOs to exchange and share experiences on the use, operation, support and future directions of the automation system provided to them by WIPO.
A delegation of judges from the Romanian Supreme Court and Court of Appeal visited the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) this week as part of a three-part Colloquium organized by WIPO, the European Patent Academy in Munich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Berne from October 17 to 28, 2005. The Colloquium which involved visits to all three participating organizations, is an opportunity for judges to enhance their knowledge of recent international developments in the protection of intellectual property rights and to deepen their practical knowledge and expertise in handling intellectual property cases.
The Assemblies of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) concluded on Wednesday, October 5, 2005, following a review of activities over the past year and agreement on the agenda of the Organization for the next year. The WIPO General Assembly, which brings together the 183 member states of the Organization, was chaired by Ambassador Enrique Manalo, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), agreed today to continue efforts to enhance the development dimension in all of the Organization's work and to build on the results of a process launched last autumn. The WIPO General Assembly, meeting in Geneva from September 26 to October 5, 2005, agreed to establish a provisional committee to accelerate and complete discussions on proposals relating to a WIPO development agenda.
The General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has agreed to establish a Voluntary Fund for Indigenous and Local Communities. This Fund will directly support the participation of representatives of these communities in the work of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC). The voice and experience of indigenous and local communities have been a vital contribution to the IGC's work. This latest outcome follows past steps to promote the participation of indigenous and local communities in WIPO's work, and is expected to strengthen their role further. The lack of a specific funding mechanism has been a key concern of indigenous and local community representatives in past IGC sessions.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), meeting during the annual session of the WIPO Assemblies, approved by consensus today the 2006/07 program and budget, presented by the Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, amounting to 531 million Swiss Francs (SFr).
An exhibition spanning 50 years of Italian design featuring items from the prestigious Compasso d'Oro ADI collection was opened this evening by Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Mr. Roberto Cota, Italy's Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Productive Activities. The exhibition, "Flair & Function - 50 Years of the ADI Compasso d'Oro Award," has been organized jointly by WIPO and the Italian Government and seeks to highlight the importance of design in the commercial success of a product.
The meetings of the Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which bring together WIPO's 183 member states, opened on Monday. The meetings, which run from September 26 to October 5, 2005, will take stock of progress in the Organization's work and discuss future policy directions.
Representatives of 20 national intellectual property offices and 10 institutions promoting the competitiveness of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) participated on May 25-26, 2006 in the third annual WIPO Forum on Intellectual Property (IP) and SMEs for IP Offices of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and South Mediterranean Countries at the Geneva headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The capacity of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to exploit the intellectual property (IP) system to enhance their competitiveness will be at the heart of discussions at a joint training program organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the INSME Association (International Network for SMEs, www.insme.org), which will meet at WIPO's Geneva headquarters from May 11 to 13, 2005. Some one hundred self-financed representatives of SMEs, research centers, universities, public agencies and SMEs associations, from 33 countries are expected to attend the meeting, which will address issues relating to innovation, patent information, trademarks, valuation of IP assets, and intangible assets as a tool for raising finance.
On Friday, April 29, 2005, the Program and Budget Committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) endorsed the Proposed Program and Budget for the 2006-2007 biennium, which had been presented by the Director General of WIPO, Dr. Kamil Idris. The Proposed Program and Budget for 2006/07 will now be sent to the WIPO General Assembly in September 2005 for adoption. Three delegations at this time stated they were not able to support the proposal.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia, Mr. Aigars Kalvitis agreed, in a meeting in Riga on April 7, 2005, to strengthen cooperation in the field of intellectual property. In his two-day visit to the Republic of Latvia (April 6 and 7, 2005), the Director General also met with the Minister for Justice, the Minister for Culture, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and visited the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia and the Latvian Academy of Sciences.
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), presented on March 5, 2005 the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) to the Director General of World Intellectual Property Organization, Dr. Kamil Idris, for his contribution to the promotion of intellectual property as a tool for economic, social and cultural development. President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam of India was the chief guest at the function.
The World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) have agreed to jointly develop interactive multimedia content on intellectual property (IP) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). "Intellectual Property Panorama," which will have 10 modules dealing with patents, trade secrets, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright, patent information, marketing, licensing, e-commerce, IP audit and enforcement of intellectual property rights, will be rolled out over the next two years. The first 30-minutes overview module will be released in March 2005.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Dr. Jose Luis Machinea, met this week to discuss joint activities to promote intellectual property as a tool for development in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Dr. Idris praised the positive collaboration between both organizations since the working relationship was formalized in a cooperation agreement in April 2004.
Growing recognition of the importance of intellectual property rights in an era in which economic growth is increasingly driven by knowledge and information, was reflected in the number of countries that signed up to treaties administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2004. During 2004, 61 instruments of accession to or ratification of treaties administered by WIPO were deposited with the Director General of WIPO, Dr. Kamil Idris. In 2003, 52 such instruments were deposited with the Director General.
The Assemblies of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) concluded on Tuesday, October 5, 2004 following a review of activities over the past year and agreement on the agenda of the Organization for the next year. The WIPO General Assembly, which brings together the 181 member states of the Organization, was chaired by Ambassador Bernard Kessedjian, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assembly agreed on Monday, October 4, 2004, to further examine a proposal by a group of developing countries to integrate in a more systematic manner the development dimension in all of WIPO's work. Member states are expected to formally adopt this decision in a plenary meeting of the General Assembly on Tuesday, October 5, 2004.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, held talks on the sidelines of the WIPO Assemblies, which are meeting from September 27 to October 5, 2004, with the Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), Mr. Jong-Kap Kim, to discuss implementation of an arrangement to enhance cooperation between both Organizations and strengthen the intellectual property system for developing and least developed countries. Under the arrangement, KIPO earmarked an amount of one billion Korean Won (more than one million Swiss Francs) for these activities in the 2004-2005 biennium in the form of funds-in-trust with WIPO.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, held talks on Tuesday, September 29, 2004 with Ms. Teresa Mogín Barquín, the recently appointed Director General of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO), to discuss implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between WIPO and SPTO which includes a significant financial contribution for projects in the Ibero-American region.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) agreed today to convene a diplomatic conference on the revision of a key international treaty that will further simplify and streamline procedures for the registration of trademarks. The Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a Revised Trademark Law Treaty (TLT) will update the existing treaty bringing it in line with technological advances in telecommunications in the past decade. The Diplomatic Conference, which traditionally is the last step in the treaty-making process, will be held in March 2006.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, has received one of the Sultanate of Oman's highest distinctions in recognition of his efforts to promote the protection of intellectual property and his support to the development of Oman in this area.
The meetings of the Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which bring together WIPO's 181 member states will be held in Geneva from September 27 to October 5, 2004, to take stock of progress in the Organization's work and discuss future policy directions.
An exhibition, featuring the work of some 100 children from the Heilongjiang Province of China, was inaugurated on September 27, 2004 in Geneva on the sidelines of the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) annual Assemblies in the presence of a number of the child artists. The centerpiece of the exhibit "Creativity by Children -A Chinese Experience," is an original 60 meter scroll which aligns some 100 paintings by the children. All of the paintings depict a theme relating to intellectual property.
A unique exhibition, featuring the work of some 100 children from the Heilongjiang Province of China, will be inaugurated on September 27, 2004 in Geneva on the sidelines of the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) annual Assemblies in the presence of a number of the child artists.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, expressed his sincere condolences on the passing of Dr. Árpád Bogsch on September 19, 2004, former Director General of WIPO and Secretary General of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) for 24 years and a man who marked the international intellectual property landscape in an unprecedented way.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, and the Rector of the United Nations University (UNU), Prof. Hans J. A. van Ginkel, agreed on Friday, July 9, 2004 to work together to boost awareness of intellectual property and to clarify the link between intellectual property and areas such as economic development, international trade and the environment.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, met on Thursday, May 13, 2004 in Venice, with Italy's Minister of Productive Activities, Mr. Antonio Marzano to discuss a number of issues of mutual interest. The meeting reaffirmed the strategic importance of intellectual property to development and wealth creation.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, received on Wednesday, May 12, 2004, the first "Venice Award for Intellectual Property", for his leadership role in promoting respect and awareness of intellectual property.
Exporters around the world can now benefit from a new practical guide on intellectual property for exporters published this month by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the International Trade Centre. "Secrets of Intellectual Property: a Guide for Small and Medium-sized Exporters" provides practical guidance on how to deal with some of the most common intellectual property (IP) issues encountered by exporters.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, marking World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, said that all nations can use the intellectual property system to achieve economic growth and cultural development. The theme of this year's day, "Encouraging Creativity", underlines how human creativity drives advances in science, business, technology, and the arts.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization meeting in Geneva from February 23 to 27, 2004, endorsed the Organization's commitment to using information technologies to promote greater efficiency in delivery of intellectual property services worldwide. Delegates attending the Standing Committee on Information Technologies (SCIT) underlined the importance of WIPO's efforts to automate the intellectual property (IP) offices of developing countries and countries in transition in enabling effective delivery of IP services.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, pledged today the Organization's continued assistance in supporting the development and use of intellectual property in the Kyrgyz Republic. In a meeting on the sidelines of the WIPO Assemblies, Dr. Idris and Mr. O. Omorov, Director of the State Agency of Science and Intellectual Property of Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, agreed on the strategic importance of intellectual property as a tool for economic, social and cultural development.
The General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) approved by consensus today the 2004-2005 program and budget, which proposes a slight decrease as compared to 2002-2003 owing to the completion of major infrastructure projects in the area of information technology and buildings during that financial period. Member states approved a budget amounting to 638.8 million Swiss Francs (SFr), which reflects a decrease of 30 million SFr or 4.5 % as compared with the revised budget for 2002-2003 of 668.8 million SFr.
An exhibition of traditional costumes and music from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary and Romania, providing an insight into the rich culture and traditions of these six nations, opened to the public today at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva.
The meetings of the Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) opened today and will take stock of progress in the Organization's work and discuss future policy directions. Ambassador Bernard Kessedjian, Permanent Representative of France, was re-elected as Chairman of the WIPO General Assembly. Ms. Dorothy Angote, Registrar-General, Department of the Registrar-General, Attorney-General's Chambers of Kenya and Mr. Wang Jingchuan, Commissioner, State Intellectual Property Office of China were elected as Vice Chairs. The WIPO Assemblies, which bring together the 179 member states of the Organization, are meeting in Geneva from September 22 to October 1, 2003.
A key decision-making body of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) approved on Tuesday, September 3, 2003, proposals by Director General Dr. Kamil Idris to appoint two new Deputy Directors General (DDG) and two new Assistant Directors General (ADG), as well as to renew the mandates of two sitting DDGs.
Internationally renowned construction firm, Induni-Ferrovial (www.induni.ch and www.ferrovial.com), on Monday, August 25, 2003, won a bid to serve as general contractor for the construction of a new administrative building and a conference hall to extend the premises of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva.
The Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization concluded on Wednesday following a review of the Organization's activities over the past year and approval of the program and budget for the next biennium (2002-2003).