World Intellectual Property Organization

The World Intellectual Property Organization (English World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO; French Organisation mondiale de la Intellectual Property, WIPO) was founded on 14 July 1967 with the aim to promote Intellectual Property Rights worldwide. In 1974, WIPO member Organization of the United Nations. WIPO is the starting point of the Patent Cooperation Treaty ( PCT) of 1970, the WIPO Copyright Treaty of 1996 and the Patent Law Treaty ( English Patent Law Treaty ) of 2000.

Work

WIPO is the one for a diplomatic conference of the members, on the other hand, an organization with executive function, which manages, inter alia, the PCT applications. Disputes will be settled through mediation and arbitration. Further, the WIPO advises on request of official stakeholders in the legislative process in the intellectual property field. In particular, the flexibility of the TRIPS Agreement is an issue here. The TRIPS Agreement was negotiated outside of WIPO by the system of free trade GATT. Thus, the WIPO was snubbed institutionally and tries to regain its influence. 2005 was discussed at the urging of several members from the Third World a development agenda with vigorous diplomatic resistance of the United States. The protection of traditional knowledge comes into focus the world organization.

Adopted in 2007, the WIPO Development Agenda. In addition to the recommendations of the Doha Round this is the second agreement, which does not require continuous expansion of intellectual property rights. The program includes 45 non- binding recommendations. On the one hand they see a reform of WIPO itself, to make the development of policy to a central pillar of its policy. Secondly, the recommendations are intended to act as meaning that the balance runs in the international negotiations on intellectual property between highly industrialized countries and developing countries in a more balanced.

Criticism

The WIPO is considered by some critics as one of the driving forces for a paternalism of holders of intangible monopoly rights because they have lost the balance between the rights holders and the public interest. The criticism often comes from the globalization-critical environment.

Developed countries on the other hand complain that the WIPO developing countries are equal voting rights. Therefore, a change of forums was completed with the TRIPS agreement to the GATT or the WTO. There, the issue is, however, highly controversial. The economist Jagdish Bhagwati sees the opening of the GATT for other topics a historic mistake.

A scheduled in 2003, this free software was deposed by the intervention of the U.S. WIPO representatives, with an influence of the U.S. software industry may be assumed. The influence of advocates of intellectual property rights on a Originally founded as a neutral organization has been so publicly.

From the WIPO treaties administered

The Wipo managed a total of 24 contracts in 2008. Unlike other UN organizations members are not obliged to accept all contracts.

  • Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works ( Berne Convention )
  • Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks ( MMA)
  • Protocol relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks ( PMMA)
  • Trademark Law Treaty ( TLT Trademark Law Treaty )
  • Convention on the International cooperation in the field of patents ( PCT)
  • WIPO Copyright Treaty ( WCT)
  • Locarno Classification
  • Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs (HMA )
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Patent office World Intellectual Property Day James Boyle (academic) Integrated Authority File
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