Conditions for opening, using and closing a current account at WIPO

• General Provisions
• Formalities for the opening of a current account
• Administration of the current accounts
• Conditions of operation of the current account
• Payments into the current account
• Operations paid from the current account
• Closure of the current account

 

1.  General provisions

Following requests from clients who work with the Organization on a regular basis, WIPO is willing to open a current account for the settlement of fees and of the costs of publications and services provided by the Organization.

2.  Formalities for the opening of a current account

2.1   In order to open a current account, a signed request for the opening of an account is to be filed together with the payment of an initial deposit.

2.2   The request for the opening of an account should be sent to the following address:

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Finance Division - Income Section
34, chemin des Colombettes
1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland

Telephone: (41 22) 338 91 11
Facsimile: (41 22) 734 4693
E-mail: Receipts.Mail@wipo.int

It must contain all the necessary particulars of the identity and address of the person or the organization in whose name the account is to be opened.

2.3   The amount of the initial deposit should be determined by the person making the request in the light of the requirements. An initial deposit of 5,000 Swiss francs is recommended. However, where use of the account is expected to be restricted to payments only for publications, the recommended initial deposit is 1,000 Swiss francs.

3.  Administration of the current accounts

The current accounts will be kept only in Swiss francs at the headquarters of WIPO in Geneva.

4.  Conditions of operation of the current account

4.1   As soon as a current account has been opened, its number will be communicated to the holder who must quote it when authorizing the charging of fees to the account.

4.2   An amount sufficient to cover all fees, services, publications and copies, etc., requested must always be on deposit in the account.

4.3   Debits will be entered on the current account, in chronological order of receipt, by the Finance Section of WIPO, of transactions made.

4.4   The holder of the current account, in which action has been recorded during the preceding month, will receive, each month, a detailed statement of the transactions recorded in respect of the account for that preceding month. The account holder must immediately, upon receipt of the statement, inform WIPO of any error which may be noticed.

4.5   The holder of the current account will receive an acknowledgment of receipt for each deposit credited into the current account.

5.  Payments into the current account

5.1   The payment of the initial deposit and subsequent payments replenishing the account should be effected in Swiss francs. If they are effected in a currency other than the Swiss franc, they will be accepted provided that the currency in question is freely convertible into Swiss francs, and the amount of the payment will then be converted, for deposit into the current account, into Swiss francs at the rate of exchange obtained.

5.2   Payments may be made by any of the following means:

• (i) by cheque drawn on a Swiss or foreign bank made payable to WIPO/OMPI and sent to:

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Finance Section - Receipts Group
34, chemin des Colombettes
1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland

• (ii) by direct bank transfer to:

• Bank :	Swiss Credit Bank CH-1211 Geneva 70 Switzerland
  Account name:	WIPO/OMPI
  Bank clearing number:	4251
  Bank account number:	CH35 0425 1048 7080 8100 0 (Swiss francs)
  SWIFT code:	CRESCH ZZ12A

  with the mention: "to the credit of my WIPO account No. . . . . . .";

• (iii) by transfer to WIPO's postal account
  No. 12-5000-8, Geneva, Switzerland (Swiss francs)
  with the mention: "to the credit of my current account, No. . . . . . ."

6.  Operations paid from the current account

6.1   The account may only be debited for payment of fees, costs incurred in respect of publications, or charges due to WIPO for other services.

6.2   A current account may only be debited on the basis of a written request made by the account holder.

Requests relating to trademarks may be placed with a national office and will be acted upon when transmitted to WIPO.

Completion of the Fee Calculation sheet attached to the request form being part of a PCT international application, with the authorization to debit the current account, will be considered as a written request.

6.3   The debit order must contain the particulars necessary to clearly identify the purpose of the payment and must indicate the number of the account which is to be debited.

6.4   No transaction which would transform the balance of the current account into an overdraft will be made.

6.5   An authorization to charge a fee to a current account will not be considered payment of the fee unless sufficient funds are present in the account to cover it.

7.  Closure of the current account

7.1   The current account may be closed upon written request by the holder or, if appropriate, by the successors in title.

7.2  However, WIPO reserves the right to close, on its own initiative, any account for which the provisions set out in paragraph 4.2 are not fulfilled.

7.3   Where an account is closed, the credit balance will be refunded by check or by transfer made out to the holder of the account or the successors in title.