Treaties

Berne Convention (in force: 9 April 1995)

The Berne Convention, adopted in 1886, deals with the protection of works and the rights of their authors. It provides creators such as authors, musicians, poets, painters etc. with the means to control how their works are used, by whom, and on what terms. It is based on three basic principles and contains a series of provisions determining the minimum protection to be granted, as well as special provisions available to developing countries that want to make use of them. Learn more…

Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement (in force: 21 February 1996)

The TRIPS Agreement was amended through the Protocol of 6 December 2005 that entered into force on 23 January 2017. The amendment inserted a new Article 31bis into the Agreement as well as an Annex and Appendix. These provide the legal basis for WTO members to grant special compulsory licences exclusively for the production and export of affordable generic medicines to other members that cannot domestically produce the needed medicines in sufficient quantities for their patients. Learn more…

Nice Agreement (in force: 27 October 2005)

The Nice Classification (NCL), established by the Nice Agreement (1957), is an international classification of goods and services applied for the registration of marks. The 2018 version of the eleventh edition of the NCL came into force on January 1, 2018.Learn more…

Paris Convention (in force: 9 April 1995)

The Paris Convention, adopted in 1883, applies to industrial property in the widest sense, including patents, trademarks, industrial designs, utility models, service marks, trade names, geographical indications and the repression of unfair competition. This international agreement was the first major step taken to help creators ensure that their intellectual works were protected in other countries.Learn more…

Patent Cooperation Treaty (in force: 27 October 2005)

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) assists applicants in seeking patent protection internationally for their inventions, helps patent Offices with their patent granting decisions, and facilitates public access to a wealth of technical information relating to those inventions. By filing one international patent application under the PCT, applicants can simultaneously seek protection for an invention in a very large number of countries. Read more about the PCT.Learn more…

Patent WIPO Convention (in force: 16 November 2005)

The WIPO Convention, the constituent instrument of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), was signed at Stockholm on July 14, 1967, entered into force in 1970 and was amended in 1979. WIPO is an intergovernmental organization which in 1974 became one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations system.

The origins of WIPO go back to 1883 and 1886 when the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works provided for the establishment of an “International Bureau”. The two bureaus were united in 1893 and, in 1970, were replaced by the World Intellectual Property Organization, by virtue of the WIPO Convention. Learn more…