Since 1999, the WIPO Academy has been offering distance learning (DL) courses, covering all aspects of intellectual property (IP), to both professionals and those new to the field. We are the only institution offering online IP courses in more than ten languages.
Our offerings include hybrid, executive and certification courses. We also assist national IP offices and universities who wish to create localized IP training content by customizing our courses.
Interaction between our students and faculty of renowned academics from universities worldwide, takes place online through our discussion forums.
WIPO Academy Distance Learning Program brochure
Download
General IP online courses
A number of self-paced general courses on IP are available for beginners and those in need of a basic foundation in IP. The general courses are self-study and offered free-of-charge. They include a primer (DL-001); general courses on IP (DL-101), IP management (IP Panorama), a selection of courses on patents, including patent essentials (DL-170), the Patent Cooperation Treaty (DL-101-PCT), and use of patent information (DL-177), among others. The general online courses on IP provide an overview of a relevant IP topic, equipping learners with the basics they need to delve deeper in the advanced and specialized courses.
Advanced copyright online courses
Our advanced offerings on IP serve to equip learners with in-depth knowledge of specific areas of IP, spanning a wide range of topics that include copyrights, industrial property and the use of IP in specialized contexts. Advanced courses are tutored by subject matter experts, and usually incur a course fee. In addition to the popular in-depth course on copyright and related rights (DL-201), we offer courses on software licensing (DL-511) and collective management for legal practitioners (DL-501), rights holders (DL-502), collective management organizations (CMOs) (DL-503), and policy makers (DL-506).
Advanced industrial property online courses
A series of online courses on industrial property including patents, trademarks and geographical indications is also available. For advanced courses on patents learners can follow the course on patents (DL-301), patent information search (DL-318), and patent drafting (DL-320). An advanced course on trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications (DL-302) is available, in addition to a specialized offering on the Madrid system for the international registration of marks (DL-303). The industrial property courses are intended for all users of the patent and trademark systems such as lawyers, inventors, entrepreneurs, SMEs, researchers, academics, government officials, technology transfer officers, engineers and scientists.
Other specialized courses on IP
The Distance Learning Program of the WIPO Academy offers other specialized courses on IP covering:
- traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions (DL-203);
- the UPOV System of Plant Variety Protection (DL-205 and DL-305);
- arbitration and mediation under the WIPO rules (DL-317);
- IP and genetic resources in the life sciences (DL-427);
- IP management (DL-450);
- access to medical technologies and innovation (DL-701); and
- IP and exports (DL-730).