WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)

• WIPO has its origins in the United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property (BIRPI) which was established in 1893.

• It is a UN specialized agency created in 1967 to promote IP protection and encourage creative activity all over the World.
• Headquarters of WIPO is in Geneva - Switzerland. India joined in 1975.
• WIPO is basically a global forum for IP policy, services, information and cooperation.
• WIPO is a self-funded agency of the UN. It has 192 members.
• 4 Types of IP are Trade Secrets, Trademarks, Copyrights and Patents.

Functions of WIPO

• To assist the development of campaigns that improve IP Protection all over the globe and keep the national legislations in harmony.
• Signing international agreements related to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection.
• To implement administrative functions discussed by the Berne and Paris Unions.
• To render legal and technical assistance in the field of IP.
• To conduct research and publish its results as well as to collect and circulate information.
• To ensure the work of services that facilitates International Intellectual Property Protection.
• To implement other appropriate and necessary actions.

Some Treaties associated with WIPO

• WIPO Performance and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT)

  1. WPPT deals with the rights of two types of beneficiaries, especially in the digital environment:
  2. For example Singers, Actors, Musicians, etc. (Performers) and Producers of Phonograms.

• Budapest Treaty: International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure was the purpose of this treaty.

• Madrid Protocol for the International Registration of Marks: The Protocol ensures the protection of a mark in many countries by securing an international registration that has effect in all of the designated Contracting Parties.

• Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities: Marrakesh Treaty allowed copyright exceptions that facilitated the creation of accessible versions of books. It also provided copyrighted works for the visually impaired. India was the 1st country to ratify the Marrakesh treaty.

• WIPO Copyright Treaty: It dealt with the Protection of works and the rights of their authors in the digital environment.

India is a part of the following WIPO treaties

• IPO Convention (1975)
• Paris Convention (1998)
• Berne Convention (1928)
• Patent Cooperation Treaty (1998)
• Phonograms Convention (1975)
• Nairobi Treaty (1983)

WIPO publishes Global Innovation Index (GII)

• It is a global ranking for countries for success in innovation.
• It is published by WIPO with Cornell University and INSEAD.
• It ranks on the basis of IPR to R&D, online creativity, mobile app, education, software spending, ease of doing business etc.
• Click here to read Global Innovation Index 2021.