New at WIPO

2008 World Patent Report Confirms Increasing Internationalization of Innovative Activity. Increased patent filings in North East Asian countries (mainly China and the Republic of Korea) and in the US drove growth in worldwide filing of patent applications, which topped 1.76 million in 2006, representing a 4.9% increase over 2005, according to the 2008 edition of the WIPO World Patent Report.
SCT Examines Non-Traditional Marks, Trademark Opposition Procedures and Industrial Designs. Non-traditional marks, such as holograms and scent marks, trademark opposition procedures, and questions relating to the registration of industrial designs topped the agenda of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT), which met from July 21 to 25.
Next WIPO Director General is nominated. Mr. Francis Gurry, a national of Australia, was nominated by the WIPO Coordination Committee on May 13 to become the next Director General of WIPO. The candidate will have to be appointed by the WIPO General Assembly at its next meeting from September 22 to 30.
Development Agenda - Report of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP). At its second meeting from July 7-11, the CDIP took forward its discussions of a work program for implementation of the recommendations approved by the General Assembly.
WIPO Committee agrees on future work on patents. Member states of the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP), meeting from June 23 to 26, began a comprehensive review of issues relating to the international patent system.