WIPO Press Room

The WIPO Press Room web site provides access to up-to-date information on current events at WIPO and background information to help you report on intellectual property issues.

Communiqués are divided into three categories. Press Releases report on events as they happen.  Updates give a progress report on the various committees that meet throughout the year and other running stories.  Media Alerts provide details of forthcoming events of media interest.

If you require further information about media accreditation to cover WIPO meetings, please contact the Media Relations & Public Affairs Section on +41 22 338 8161 or 338 9547.

Latest News

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Oct 8, 2008

WIPO Expands its Distance Learning Program (PR/2008/570) The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has added five new multilingual courses to the distance learning program offered by its Worldwide Academy. The new courses will cover Arbitration and Mediation Procedure, Patents, Patent Information Search, Basics of Patent Drafting, and Trademarks.

Oct 3, 2008

WIPO and ARIPO Sign MOU to Expand Cooperation (PR/2008/569) The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr. Francis Gurry, and his counterpart from the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), Mr. Gift H. Sibanda, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on October 2, 2008 in Geneva, to strengthen and expand cooperation between the two organizations. The MOU covers traditional areas of cooperation relating to capacity building, as well as a special project to boost ARIPO’s patent information capacity.

Oct 1, 2008

USA Ratifies the Singapore Treaty (PR/2008/568) The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr. Francis Gurry, welcomed the ratification by the United States of America (USA) on October 1, 2008 of the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks, an international treaty on trademarks that streamlines and modernizes certain trademark office procedures.

Oct 1, 2008

WIPO Assemblies Conclude (PR/2008/567) Topped by the appointment of Mr. Francis Gurry as the next Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the WIPO Assemblies concluded a day ahead of schedule, on Tuesday, September 29, 2008, following a review of activities over the past year and discussions on the Organization’s future work program. The WIPO Assemblies bring together the 184 member states of the Organization.