Businesses and innovators need easy, cost-effective ways to protect their inventions, their brands, and their designs in multiple countries. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations, was founded in 1967 in order to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world. WIPO currently has 188 member states, administers 26 international treaties.

WIPO offers a range of global services for protecting intellectual property across borders. As of close concern with industrial property rights applications, WIPO serves right holders for some simplified international filing systems.

The Madrid System is a one stop solution for registering and managing marks worldwide. File one application, in one language, and pay one set of fees to protect your mark in the territories of up to 97 members. Manage your portfolio of marks through one centralized system.

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) assists applicants in seeking patent protection internationally for their inventions, helps patent Offices with their patent granting decisions, and facilitates public access to a wealth of technical information relating to those inventions. By filing one international patent application under the PCT, applicants can simultaneously seek protection for an invention in 148 countries throughout the world.

The Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs provides a practical business solution for registering up to 100 designs in over 64 territories through filing one single international application.

The Lisbon System for the International Registration of Appellations of Origin offers a means of obtaining protection for an appellation of origin (AO) in the contracting parties to the Lisbon Agreement through a single registration. Registrations are published in the official Bulletin and can be searched through the Lisbon Express database.

Besides, WIPO’s mediation and arbitration services are also well known for IP disputes outside the courts.