Patent and Technology Law Division

The Patent and Technology Law Division is responsible for assisting member states in the development of the international patent system, as well as with the implementation of their national and regional normative framework. The Division covers policy, law and practices in the area of patents and other related forms of IP and technology.

Our activities include:

• Organizing the meetings of the SCP.
• Providing, upon request, legislative and policy advice to member states relating to patents, utility models, trade secrets, and layout designs of integrated circuits.
• Supporting member states and their representatives on patent law related issues. Brief queries in this area can be addressed through the Patent Law Helpdesk (PLH) service that offers virtual meetings with the Division’s staff.
• Continuing to support and assist member states with the Paris Convention, the Budapest Treaty and the Patent Law Treaty.
• Organizing information meetings, promotional activities and capacity building and training activities for member state representatives, to provide information and training on topics related to policy, law and practices in the areas of patents and other related forms of IP and technology. These activities aim, among other things: (i) to enhance the capacities of member states in shaping a balanced and effective IP ecosystem; and (ii) to address the interplay between patent law and other categories of intellectual property and technology law, as well as between patent policy and other related policies, e.g. innovation, trade and health.