Some 70 ministers from across the globe participating in the high-level segment of the WIPO Assemblies, which opened today, shared their national experiences in relation to the role of intellectual property (IP) in promoting innovation, growth and development, and reaffirmed their commitment to IP in supporting these objectives.
World-famous singer-songwriter and UN Messenger for Peace Stevie Wonder called on the international community to take action to enhance accessibility for all those with physical disabilities. Speaking at the opening of the annual meetings of WIPO Assemblies, he challenged delegates to conclude an agreement on improved accessibility to copyright protected works by visually impaired persons (VIPs) within a year.
The role of innovation in promoting economic growth and competitiveness as well as the significant changes in the dynamic global innovation landscape were the focus of remarks by WIPO Director General in his opening statement to the annual meetings of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) which run from September 20 to 29, 2010. Mr. Gurry addressed his remarks to some 70 ministers who will be exploring the theme “Innovation, Growth and Development: The Role of Intellectual Property and Member States’ National Experiences in a two-day high-level ministerial segment.
WIPO launched on September 20, 2010 WIPO Lex, an on-line global intellectual property (IP) reference resource which provides up-to-date information on national IP laws and treaties. This centralized search facility, which offers a user-friendly interface and functionalities, is in line with one of the Organization’s strategic goals, namely to serve as a world reference source for IP information and analysis.
A new public-private partnership which aims to provide industrial property offices, universities and research institutes in least developed countries with free access, and similar institutions in certain developing countries with low cost access, to advanced tools and services for retrieving and analyzing patent data was launched at WIPO’s headquarters on September 17, 2010. This will support these countries in effectively leveraging the valuable information contained in patent documents to facilitate technological innovation and economic development.
WIPO launched on September 16, 2010 an on-line tool that is linked to its International Patent Classification (IPC) system to facilitate searches for patent information relating to environmentally sound technologies (ESTs). This will help to help in identifying existing and emerging green technologies, as well as potential partners for further R&D and commercial exploitation.
The annual meetings of WIPO member states begin on September 20, 2010 with a two-day high-level ministerial segment on the theme “Innovation, Growth and Development: The Role of Intellectual Property and Member States’ National Experiences.” Some 70 ministers have confirmed their participation in the event, reflecting the importance of intellectual property (IP) in senior policy-making spheres.
A new WIPO report analyzing intellectual property (IP) trends in 2008 and 2009 shows that innovative activity and demand for IP rights dipped during the global economic crisis, but began to recover this year.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry has welcomed the adoption by member states of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) of a new legal instrument that seeks to protect African traditional knowledge and folklore.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry and the Director General of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Professor Rolf-Dieter Heuer, signed an agreement on August 20, 2010 designed to strengthen collaboration between the two organizations.