WIPO Unveils New Parties To IP Treaties In 2005

by Ulrika Lomas, for LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels

01 February 2006

In a statement released on Monday, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) unveiled the signatories to its various intellectual property protection treaties and agreements in the past year.

According to WIPO:

"The year 2005 saw a significant number of accessions or ratifications to treaties administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO and the entry into force of a new international instrument relating formal patent procedures reflecting continuing commitment by member states in enhancing intellectual property legislation at the national level."

"In 2005, 45 instruments of accession or ratification of treaties administered by WIPO were deposited with the Director General of WIPO, Dr. Kamil Idris."

"On April 28, 2005 the Patent Law Treaty (PLT) entered into force. The PLT, concluded in 2000, harmonizes and streamlines, on a worldwide basis, formal patent procedures relating to national and regional patent applications and maintenance of patents."

The Organisation then went on to reveal that Afghanistan and the Comoros had adhered to the WIPO Convention, which is responsible for the promotion of the protection of intellectual property throughout the world through cooperation among states, and for the administration of various multilateral treaties dealing with the legal and administrative aspects of intellectual property.

The Comoros also adhered to the Paris Convention, which applies to industrial property in the widest sense, including inventions, marks, industrial designs, utility models, trade names, geographical indications, and the repression of unfair competition.

With regard to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), WIPO announced that The Comoros, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Nigeria and Saint Kitts and Nevis had signed up. It went on to reveal that just one country, Bahrain, had signed up to the Madrid Protocol in 2005.

The Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks was concluded in 1957, and establishes a classification of goods and services for the purposes of registering trademarks and service marks. In 2005, Bahrain, Egypt, Jamaica and Saint Kitts and Nevis adhered to the Nice Agreement.

Meanwhile, it emerged that Iran and Peru last year adhered to the Lisbon Agreement (concerning the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration), and that Bahrain, Finland, Romania and the United Kingdom adhered to the Patent Law Treaty, which aims to harmonize and simplify formality procedures in order to result in cost reduction, increase of patent offices' efficiency, reduction of risk of errors and consequent less frequent loss of rights.

With regard to the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT), which extends copyright protection to two additional subject matters: (i) computer programs and (ii) compilations of data or other material in any form, it was reported that Albania, Bahrain, Dominican Republic, Oman, Qatar and Singapore last year agreed to abide by the Treaty's terms.

In conclusion , the statement revealed that in 2005, Bahrain, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Oman, Qatar, Singapore and United Arab Emirates had signed up to the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT).

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