International Cooperation

Part 2 of the Handbook on Intellectual Property Information and Documentation

• Committee on WIPO Standards (CWS)
  
• WIPO Global IP Protection systems
• WIPO Convention, Members, and Decision-Making bodies
• WIPO International Cooperation in the IP field

Committee on WIPO Standards (CWS) ^↑

On January 2010 the Committee on WIPO Standards (CWS) replaced the former Standards and Documentation Working Group (SDWG) of the Standing Committee on Information Technologies (SCIT) (1998 – 2010).

• Special Rules of Procedure and Structure of the Standing Committee on Information Technologies (SCIT)
• Background documentation and SCIT/SDWG history

WIPO Global IP Protection systems ^↑

• International Patent applications: 
  PCT Resources - Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) - PATENTSCOPE database
  The Treaty allows seeking patent protection for an invention simultaneously in each of a large number of countries by filing an "international" application.
   
• International Registration of Marks: 
  The Madrid system for the international registration of marks - ROMARIN database - Global Brand Database
  Thanks to the international procedural mechanism, the Madrid system offers a trademark owner the possibility to protect it in several countries by simply filing one application directly with his own national or regional trademark office.
   
• International Registration of Industrial Design: 
  The Hague system for the international registration of industrial designs - Hague Express database
  This system allows the owner of an industrial design to apply for industrial design protection in several countries by filing one application with the International Bureau of WIPO.
   

WIPO Convention, Members, and Decision-Making bodies ^↑

• WIPO Convention
  WIPO was established by the WIPO Convention in 1967 with a mandate from its Member States to promote the protection of Intellectual Property (IP) around the world through cooperation among states and in collaboration with other international organizations. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.
   
• WIPO Member States - Directory of IP Offices
  For each Member State, this section provides information on membership of the different WIPO treaties, national IP legislation, contact details of IP Offices and other useful details.
   
• WIPO Decision-Making bodies
  WIPO's strategic direction, budget and activities are determined by its Member States who meet in the Assemblies, Committees and other decision making bodies which work to provide for the international IP system keeping pace with the changing world. The WIPO Secretariat coordinates formal and informal meetings of the Member States bodies throughout the year. To ensure transparency and inclusiveness, all meeting documents are available online, as well as live webcast of WIPO meetings.

WIPO International Cooperation in the IP field ^↑

• Intellectual Property Statistics
  Statistics relating to patents, utility models, marks, industrial designs, plant varieties and microorganisms by country and in accordance with the relevant international industrial property classification systems.
   
• Traditional Knowledge (TK), Genetic Resources (GR) and Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCE) (Folklore)
  A forum for international policy debate and development of legal mechanisms and practical tools concerning the protection.
   
• Intellectual Property for Development
  WIPO works to assist all nations, particularly developing and least developed countries, to use the intellectual property (IP) system to promote economic, social and cultural development.
   
• IP Laws and Treaties (WIPO Lex)
  Access to intellectual property legislation and treaties from a wide range of countries and regions.