The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations, with more than 190 Member States.
Its mission is to:
- Harmonise and supervise IP protection at the international level
- It develops international treaties (e.g., Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), Madrid Agreement for trademarks, Hague System for designs).
- It facilitates the recognition of IP rights in several countries through centralised procedures.
- Provide services to innovators, businesses, and governments
- International patent filing (via the PCT)
- International registration of trademarks (Madrid System)
- Registration of industrial designs (Hague System)
- Mediation and arbitration for IP disputes (including Internet domain names).
- Developing the capacities of member countries
- Training and technical assistance programs, particularly for developing countries.
- Strengthening national IP systems to support local innovation.
- Producing global databases and statistics
- WIPO Lex (IP legislation and treaties).
- PATENTSCOPE: publications of international PCT patent applications
- Global Brand Database: search for registered trademarks.
- Global Design Database: designs and models
- Global statistics on patent, trademark and design filings.
- Reports on trends in innovation and intellectual property.