World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)

• World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is one of the oldest specialised agencies of United Nations.
• WIPO was created in 1967 “to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world”.
• WIPO currently administers 26 international treaties.
• It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Every year World Intellectual Property Day is being celebrated on 26^th April.

Status of WIPO Membership

• WIPO currently has 193 member states.
• All member states of the UN are entitled, though not obliged, to become members of the specialized agencies like WIPO.
• 190 of UN member states as well as Cook Islands, Holy See and Niue are members of WIPO.
• Palestine has permanent observer status.
• Besides 281 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 47 intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) 17 UN system of organizations and 10 IP organizations have official observer status at WIPO meetings.
• India joined WIPO in 1975.

Functions

• Policy forum to shape balanced international IP rules for a changing world.
• Global services to protect IP across borders and to resolve disputes.
• Technical infrastructure to connect IP systems and share knowledge.
• Cooperation and capacity-building programs to enable all countries to use IP for economic, social and cultural development.
• A world reference source for IP information.

WIPO’s Limitations and Exceptions

• In order to maintain an appropriate balance between the interests of rightholders and users of protected works, copyright laws allow certain limitations on economic rights.
• These are cases in which protected works may be used without the authorization of the rightholder and with or without payment of compensation.
• Limitations and exceptions is an issue considered in the agenda of the WIPO.
• The debate has been focused mainly on three groups of beneficiaries or activities in relation to exceptions and limitations – on educational activities, on libraries and archives and on disabled persons, particularly visually impaired persons.

What other WIPO-administered International Treaties and Conventions are there to which India is a Member?

• Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
• Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization
• Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
• Patent Cooperation Treaty
• Washington Treaty on Intellectual Property in respect of Integrated Circuits
• Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol

WIPO and India

• India joined the WIPO in 1975.
• India is a part of the following WIPO Treaties:
  • IPO Convention (1975)
  • Paris Convention (1998)
  • Berne Convention (1928)
  • Patent Cooperation Treaty (1998)
  • Phonograms Convention (1975)
  • Nairobi Treaty (1983)
  • Nice Agreement (2019)
  • Locarno Agreement (2019)
  • Vienna Agreement (2019)
• India acceded to all of the above treaties. India was the first country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty.

What are Its Publications?

• Global Innovation Index – an annual ranking of countries by their capacity for, and success in, innovation.
  • It is published in association with Cornell University and INSEAD.
  • India has jumped places in the Global Innovation Index (GII) in recent years. In the 2022 GII, India is ranked 40^th position out of 132, which is a big leap from previous years.
    • Since 2011, India is the top-ranked innovative country in the Southern and Central Asia region.
    • India has been outperforming on innovation relative to its GDP per capita for eight years at a stretch.
    • On innovation quality, India ranks second among middle-income economies globally.
    • The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a GII Knowledge Partner since 2009.
    • In India, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry deals with WIPO and related issues.