A combination of strong demand for WIPO’s services to the private sector and strict budgetary discipline means that the financial situation of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is strong and has led to a situation where available reserve funds have exceeded a target level established by member states. The Program and Budget Committee (PBC) will make its final recommendation in early September to the annual session of the WIPO Assemblies, which will meet from September 24 to October 3, 2007, on options to use these available reserve funds. Also, work on the construction project for a new administrative building for WIPO is set to begin early 2008. The deadline for the submission of bids for a general contractor was July 23, 2007.
Talks between the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, and a delegation of senior Bahraini officials led by the Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Dr. Hassan A. Fakhro, on July 19, 2007, focused on the strategic importance of intellectual property in today’s knowledge economy and explored ways to further strengthen cooperation between WIPO and Bahrain.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, met with the Prime Minister of Tunisia, Mr. Mohamed Ghannouchi, to explore ways to further strengthen cooperation between WIPO and the Government of Tunisia in the field of intellectual property during an official visit to Tunisia on July 11 and 12, 2007.
A key committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), meeting in Geneva from July 3 to 12, 2007, recommended that the WIPO General Assembly should renew its mandate to continue work on intellectual property and traditional knowledge (TK), traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) (also termed 'expressions of folklore'), and genetic resources. The current mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) expires in December 2007.
The huge economic potential of the creative industries was at the heart of talks between the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris and the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Georgi Parvanov, in Sofia on July 5, 2007. Discussions focused, in particular, on the dynamism of the creative industries sector and its potential to generate employment and promote trade and wealth creation. Discussions also underlined the strategic importance of intellectual property in the development of both the creative industries sector and the national economy in general.
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Dr. Kamil Idris, applauded the generosity of donors to the WIPO Voluntary Contribution Fund for Accredited Indigenous and Local Communities (“the Fund”) and urged member states and other potential donors to continue to offer their practical support by contributing to the Fund. This followed a review of the Fund this week by participants in the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) which is meeting in Geneva from July 3 to 12, 2007.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is hosting a seminar on "Legitimate Distribution of Copyright Works Online" in Singapore on July 10, 2007 – in cooperation with the Intellectual Property Office, and the Intellectual Property Academy of Singapore. Key players in online copyright businesses - lawyers, academics, businesspersons and policy-makers in the Asia-Pacific region - will shed light on this rapidly changing field. The progam is available at https://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/ldcw.html.
The International Symposium on Geographical Indications (GIs), jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing from June 26 to 28, 2007, concluded with a better understanding of how to maximize the use of geographical indications to add value to agricultural products. The Symposium brought together over 300 participants, representing national administrations, producers of GI products and specialists in the field of GIs in order to exchange information and experiences and to discuss some of the most salient issues in this area.
Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have decided that further discussions were required on various aspects of a treaty on the protection of broadcasting organizations before moving to a diplomatic conference. The decision came at the conclusion of the second special session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) from June 18 to 22, 2007 which had been mandated by the WIPO General Assembly in October 2006.
An International Symposium on Geographical Indications (GIs) is being jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing, from June 26 to 28, 2007.