In the News

A new web portal for patents

WIPO launched a new portal on its website in mid-July for patent-related information and services concerning the international patent filing system (Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) System). The new portal centralizes all WIPO’s patent and PCT-related activities to provide users with better services.

Existing information on PCT filing, electronic filing and other patent-related resources is available through this new portal as well as new sections on patent data, statistics and current issues. The patent data section provides access, through a PCT Online File Inspection System, to the complete collection of published PCT International Applications – now more than a million – from 1978 to the present day in image format and with fully searchable description and claim texts for applications filed as from July 1998.

The portal will form the basis for new online services, tutorials and other resources for patent information retrieval that will be made available in the coming months.

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Mexico honors Dr. Kamil Idris

Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba, Mexico’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Geneva, presented WIPO Director General Kamil Idris with Mexico’s highest honor for foreigners, the Order of the Aztec Eagle (Orden de Aguila Azteca), on June 22. The Ambassador stated that the Director General’s commitment to a culture of intellectual property had strengthened the relationship between WIPO and Mexico’s IP institutions. "This relationship has increased economic growth and development for Mexico and in recognition of his endeavors, it is my distinct privilege to confer to his Excellency Mr. Kamil Idris the decoration of the Aztec Eagle, in grade of Band, bestowed upon him by Mr. Vicente Fox, President of Mexico."

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Asia-Pacific regional symposium discusses IP and development

Officials representing the intellectual property (IP) offices of 25 countries in the Asia and the Pacific Region joined the ongoing international debate in the field of IP and development at a Symposium held in Singapore on June 7 and 8. WIPO organized the event in cooperation with the Government of Singapore through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Intellectual Property Office and the Ministry of Law.

The Symposium focused on the following themes:

• effective IP strategies in the fields of science and technology, culture, youth awareness, knowledge-based businesses and business development that could optimize the impact of IP on economic growth;
• national IP comparative advantages in the areas of traditional knowledge, health, information technology, and small and medium-sized enterprises and the process of deciding on the competing priorities in IP; and
• the new business role of IP offices in the 21st Century.

The Symposium also provided an opportunity to share experiences on various initiatives aimed at regional cooperation in the IP field, particularly in the context of sub-regional groups such as the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Pacific Islands Forum Countries and the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The Symposium coincided with the inauguration of WIPO’s Singapore Office, which was set up earlier this year as a result of a contribution by the Government of Singapore. The Singapore Office will contribute to the timely, effective and efficient delivery of WIPO’s programs in the region.

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Arbitration and mediation: A new electronic case facility

To further enhance efficient resolution of intellectual property and technology disputes, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center is now offering a new tool, the WIPO Electronic Case Facility (WIPO ECAF).

WIPO ECAF is a simple and practical web tool that allows parties involved in a case administered by the Center to conduct the case via a secure electronic facility. Parties submit communications electronically into a secure online docket, which prompts e-mail alerts to other actors in the case, who can access this docket at any time from any location through the Internet. The online docket incorporates a search function to facilitate access to case documents and to allow easy organization of the documents by chronology or by party.

In addition to online communication and storage, WIPO ECAF provides at a glance core case information, such as a case summary, overview of timelines, including upcoming deadlines, contact details for all parties, and the financial status of the case.

WIPO ECAF functions under the WIPO Mediation, Arbitration, and Expedited Arbitration Rules. In order to safeguard the confidential nature of WIPO arbitration and mediation procedures using WIPO ECAF, the stored information is firewall protected and encrypted by using modern Secure Socket Layer technology. Users are authenticated through username, password and a changing pass code.

WIPO ECAF may be used by party agreement and does not rule out submission of paper documents outside the facility. 

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