WIPO Notification No. 17
Convention establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization
Entry into Force
The Director of the United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property (BIRPI) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and, referring to Article 19(i) of the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has the honor to inform him that, pursuant to the provisions of Article 15(1) the said Convention will enter into force on
April 26, 1970,
that is, three months after ten States members of the Paris Union and seven States members of the Berne Union have fulfilled the conditions set forth in Article 14(1), (2) and (3).
In this connection, the Director of BIRPI, referring to his previous notifications, has the honor to remind him that:
(1) Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
(a) Ireland signed the said Convention, without reservation as to ratification, on January 12, 1968;
(b) instruments of ratification or accession, relating to the said Convention, were deposited by
- the German Democratic Republic, on June 20, 1968,
- the Republic of Senegal, on September 19, 1968,
- the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, on December 4, 1968,
- the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on February 26, 1969,
- the Socialist Republic of Rumania, on February 28, 1969,
- Spain, on June 6, 1969,
- the State of Israel, on July 30, 1969,
- the Kingdom of Sweden, on August 12, 1969,
- the Hungarian People's Republic, on December 18, 1969,
- the Kingdom of Denmark, on January 26, 1970,
- the Swiss Confederation, on January 26, 1970.
(2) Stockholm Act of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
(a) in its entirety: instruments of ratification or accession were deposited by Ireland on March 27, 1968, and by the German Democratic Republic, the Republic of Senegal, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Socialist Republic of Rumania, the State of Israel, the Hungarian People's Republic, the Kingdom of Denmark and the Swiss Confederation on the respective dates mentioned above;
(b) with only the limitation set forth in Article 20(1)(b)(i) of the said Act: an instrument of ratification was deposited by the Kingdom of Sweden on August 12, 1969.
(3) Stockholm Act of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
(a) in its entirety: instruments of ratification or accession were deposited by the German Democratic Republic and the Republic of Senegal on the respective dates mentioned above, and by the Socialist Republic of Rumania on October 29, 1969;
(b) with only the limitation set forth in Article 28(1)(b)(i) of the said Act: instruments of ratification were deposited by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Spain, the State of Israel, the Kingdom of Sweden (with, however, a declaration admitting the application of the Protocol Regarding Developing Countries), the Kingdom of Denmark and the Swiss Confederation on the respective dates mentioned above.
The Director of BIRPI has the honor to remind him further that the notification of the deposit of the instruments of accession by the German Democratic Republic has given rise to communications from some Governments disputing the validity of such accession, communications which have been transmitted to the States concerned.
Furthermore, the Director of BIRPI has the honor to inform him that, pursuant to the second sentence of Article 15(1), the said Convention will enter into force also on April 26, 1970, in respect of States which, not being members of either of the two Unions, but fulfilling the conditions set forth in Article 5(2)(i), have taken action as provided in Article 14(1) three months or more prior to the said date, that is:
which deposited their instruments of ratification of the said Convention on March 19, 1969, and February 12, 1969, respectively.
February 4, 1970