June 5, 2010
Activities are being organized on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to give visitors a better idea of what the Organization does and how its work helps contribute to human and social progress. 
Program.
Visitors will learn about the basic elements of intellectual property – patents, trademarks, designs, geographical indications and copyright, to name a few - and how the intellectual property system works to promote innovation and creativity. WIPO staff will be present to answer questions about the Organization’s activities.
Activities and Exhibits
Activities and exhibits will be organized both inside WIPO’s landmark building on the Place des Nations and in the gardens. The exhibits will include green tech innovations, such as a photovoltaic roof system by DuPont. Visitors will also have access to the top floor of the WIPO building, which affords breathtaking views of the surroundings.
WIPO’s Open Day is part of a bigger international weekend, which coincides with World Environment Day on June 5
. The UN Environment Programme is organizing a series of events on the Place des Nations on June 5. In addition, the gardens of the Palais des Nations will be open to the public that day. On June 6, the International Peace Bureau is organizing day-long events along the Geneva lakeside.
WIPO is also honored to host an exhibition of Swiss appellations of origin, in collaboration with Switzerland’s Federal Office of Agriculture and the Association suisse des AOC-IGP, which will organize a tasting of some Swiss AOC. Geneva’s Direction générale de l’agriculture (Département de l'Intérieur et de la Mobilité) will also host a stand featuring Geneva wines.
DuPont, a science-based products and services company, will be presenting a new photovoltaic system, specially designed for roof integration, consisting of photovoltaic modules framed in a composite material, DuPont Rynite(R), for harmonious aesthetics and easy installation. Founded in 1802 and operating in more than 80 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
Visitors will also have a unique opportunity to meet Mr. Marc Parent, the inventor of the Eole Water, a clean technology water-making system, which will also be on display at WIPO. The inventors of the Eole Water system used the international patent system – the WIPO-administered Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) – to acquire patent protection for their invention in multiple countries.
Another eco-innovation that used the PCT and that will be on display - with the opportunity for rides - is the Segway® transport system (courtesy of LocoEmotion and SMAG). Invented in 2001 by Dean Kamen, this is the first self-balancing, zero emissions personal transportation vehicle.
International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)
The UPOV exhibition will show how plant variety protection encourages the creation of new varieties of plants for the benefit of society. Three exhibitors will explain practical examples for wheat (Delley semences et plantes SA, Switzerland), apples (International Community of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit-Tree Varieties (CIOPORA) and roses (Meilland International, France). Visitors will be invited to participate in a competition to identify different varieties of apples and roses. UPOV is an independent intergovernmental organization based in Geneva, established in 1961 by the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, with 68 members from all continents.
Discussion Forums
Courtesy Université de Genève
In addition to displays, a number of discussion forums as well as a projection of film relating to the environment, will be held in WIPO’s main conference hall which hosts a multitude of high-level negotiations year-round among WIPO’s 184 member states.
Among the forums is a meeting with the Director General of WIPO, Mr. Francis Gurry, who will respond to questions from the public about WIPO and intellectual property. In addition, WIPO is co-organizing with the University of Geneva, a roundtable discussion where experts will discuss innovation and green and sustainable technologies.
A number of animations, concerts and activities will also be organized in the WIPO gardens.
Security
While the WIPO gardens will be accessible to the public all day, the main WIPO building is open to the public from 10.00 to 18.00. Visitors are requested to show photo identification upon entrance of the building. Bags will be security controlled.
Program for Conference Hall Events
- 13.30 - 14.30: Round Table Discussion
- 15.00 - 15.45: Meet the Director General
- 16.00 - 18.00: Projection of film
The WIPO Headquarters Building
WIPO Headquarters
Since its completion in 1978, the headquarters building of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has become an architectural landmark in Geneva, with its bold facades sweeping up from rising ground, and its dominant position on the Place des Nations, the focal point of a number of intergovernmental organizations.
The building was designed by Geneva architect Pierre Braillard. The exterior of the 13-storey building is encased in sapphire-blue glass which reflects and blends with the changing colors of cloud and sky.
The tower structure is anchored to the enveloping lawns and flower beds by a two-storeyed podium which houses the lobby and two conference rooms. An unusual wall fountain in the lobby, six meters high and 11 meters wide, symbolizes the emergence of life, while sinuous, flowing ribbons of multi-colored marble set in the floor represent human ingenuity and creativity, culminating in a golden sunburst which mirrors the gilded cupola above. Around the lower edge of the cupola, in Latin:
“Human genius is the source of all works of art and invention; these works are the guarantee of a life worthy of men; it is the duty of the State to ensure with diligence the protection of the arts and inventions”
Works of art presented to WIPO by its member states are on display in various parts of the lobby.
Leading off the lobby is the main conference room, oval in shape, its side walls trimmed with heavy drapes in rich cinquecento hues. Above, the ceiling is illuminated across its entire surface through champagne-colored translucent glass tiles. Gifts from member states embellish this room.
Outside the WIPO building, just below the conference room, water cascades into a pool from a 65 meter wide fountain which is graced with two nymphs originally sculptured by the 16th century Florentine sculptor Gimabologna.