WIPO Launches New Publication Series with Leading Judgments on Intellectual Property Rights; China Is First Contributor

Geneva, November 21, 2019
PR/2019/840

The World Intellectual Property Organization has published the first edition in a new publication series collecting landmark intellectual property (IP) judgments from some of the most dynamic litigation jurisdictions around the world.

The “WIPO Collection of Leading Judgments on Intellectual Property” series aims to illustrate IP adjudication approaches and trends, by jurisdiction or theme in each volume.

The first title is a joint publication with the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) of the People’s Republic of China. It features 30 representative judgments rendered by the SPC between 2011 and 2018, presented in both Chinese and English. These decisions, selected by the SPC, exemplify recent judicial adjudication in the areas of copyright, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, new plant varieties, integrated circuit layout designs, monopoly and competition, and criminal enforcement of IP rights.

The publication is part of WIPO’s efforts in the area of the judicial administration of IP, led by the WIPO Judicial Institute, to engage judges from around the world as they share experiences on the common challenges they face and discuss new subject matters and concepts.

“Technological transformations are disrupting the existing IP systems, but the stately pace of deliberative bodies means solutions to pressing questions are not always developed in a timely manner,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry in introducing the new publication. “In this context, innovators and other actors in the IP ecosystem are increasingly looking to the courts to resolve unanswered questions, meaning that courts are playing a greater role in molding the development of the IP framework within their national borders and in the global economy.”

The new series was launched at the November 13-15 “2019 WIPO Intellectual Property Judges Forum,” attended by 128 judges from 74 countries at WIPO headquarters in Geneva.

The annual Forum provides a global platform for judges to share expertise on the most pressing IP questions raised by accelerating innovation and the cross-border use of IP.

About the WIPO Judicial Institute

The WIPO Judicial Institute aims to support the efficient and effective judicial administration of intellectual property, aligned with the national legal traditions, and economic and social circumstances, of member states.

The WIPO Judicial Institute collaborates closely with all relevant WIPO sectors in working with judges from around the world to create a space for dialogue and exchange of information and practices, to deliver capacity-building activities, and to increase the availability of information about IP and courts.