WIPO Seeks Bids for WIPOnet Project: SecondPlenary Session of the Standing Committee on Information Technologies
Geneva, February 18, 1999
Press Updates UPD/1999/50
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has taken further steps towards setting up a secure communications network that will link intellectual property offices worldwide through the Internet with the release of the WIPO Global Information Network Request for Proposals (RFP) on February 12, 1999. Notifications and official copies are being sent to all companies who had registered their interest in tendering for the project following an advertisement in the general press in late 1998. Those companies who registered their interest are now being invited to submit formal tender proposals. The purpose of the tender is to select a contractor for the first implementation phase of WIPO's Global Information Network, known as "WIPONET", which aims to ensure that all intellectual property offices of WIPO Member States are equipped with Internet facilities.
The launch of the WIPONET tendering exercise came at the end of the Second Plenary Session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Information Technologies (SCIT) which met from February 8 to 12, 1999. Established in 1998, this Committee is responsible for steering the development of the WIPONET.
WIPONET will provide electronic connectivity between intellectual property offices worldwide to facilitate the future rapid exchange of data between these offices. This global communications network will enable member States to exchange intellectual property information in a cost-effective and highly secure environment. "WIPONET is a state-of-the-art means of communication that will provide users with an important vehicle for the global exchange of intellectual property information in the next Century" said Yo Takagi, Director of the Inter-Office Information Services and Operational Affairs Department, who is overseeing the project.
Once fully operational, it is anticipated that WIPONET will serve as an important vehicle for the dissemination of published intellectual property information to the broader public, universities, research and development institutions and copyright users. Intellectual Property Digital Libraries (IPDLs) will be implemented to support this function.
The Standing Committee reviewed the progress made to date in the establishment of IPDL services and established issues to be addressed. It took note of the proposed enhancement of the WIPO Intellectual Property Digital Library (IPDL), with the inclusion of data relating to the international register of marks . The SCIT was given a demonstration of the Madrid Express Database which, when launched operationally, will provide free public Internet access to a subset of data related to trademark applications filed under the Madrid System.
For more details on Madrid Express and a selection of other IPDL related services provided by intellectual property offices see http://ipdl.wipo.int.
Among other issues the Standing Committee considered the urgent need to have available WIPO standards for "electronic filing, processing and storage of patent applications" and approved priority action to achieve this.
To draw all these initiatives together, the Standing Committee welcomed a proposal for the elaboration of a strategic plan covering all information-technology related activities undertaken within the SCIT. This plan is to be discussed at the next meeting of the Standing Committee, in June 1999.
Further details may be obtained from Mr. Yo Takagi, Director, Inter-Office Information Services and Operational Affairs Department, WIPO:
Tel.: (+41 22) 338 90 58
Fax: (+41 22) 734 63 92
E-mail: yo.takagi@wipo.int