An Introduction to WIPO and the work
of the Small and Medium-sized
Enterprises (SMEs) Division
Donna Ghelfi
Program Officer, SMEs Division
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Protection of the economic and moral
rights of innovators and creators
Intellectual Property Rights:
An Exchange
Public access to the fruits of
innovation and creativity
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Intellectual Property Tools
Industrial
Property
- patents
- trademarks
- industrial
designs
- geographical
indications
Copyright &
Related Rights
Time Limited
Territorial
Exclusive
- literary, artistic,
musical works
- actors, music
distributors, etc.
Trade secrets
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Milestones : 1883 to 2004
2002
1989
1970
1967
1960
1925
Madrid Protocol
PCT
1970
WIPO established
WIPO Convention
BIRPI moves to Geneva
Hague Agreement
1891
1886
1883
Internet
Treaties
1893
BIRPI
Madrid Agreement
Berne Convention
Paris Convention
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Basic Facts about WIPO
WIPO’s Mission:
To promote the protection of IP rights worldwide and
extend the benefits of the international IP system to all
member States
• Status: An int’l intergovernmental organization
• Member States: 182
• Staff: 940 from 94 countries (1300)
• Treaties Administered: 23
• Decisions by: GA, CC, WIPO Conference
• Guiding Principles: Transparency, Accountability,
Consensus.
• www.wipo.int
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Strategic Goals
Promotion of an IP culture
– to increase understanding of IP
– to encourage use of IP system
– to enhance respect for IP rights
IP
Enhanced Access to IP System
– delivery of practical solutions that empower all
stakeholders to develop, protect, enforce, manage and
commercially exploit IPRs for development
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
WIPO’s Activities
Services
to
Industry
NormSetting
Economic Development
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Norm Setting
AIM:
Progressive development of international IP law for an IP system
that is:
– balanced and responsive to emerging needs
– effective in encouraging innovation and creativity
– sufficiently flexible to accommodate national policy
objectives
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Economic Development
To maximize strategic use of IP for development by:
- updating IP legislation
- upgrading IP infrastructure
- demystifying IP
- promoting understanding of policy
options offered by IPS
Approach:
- tailored to specific national needs (NFAPs, etc. that
are coordinated through regional offices).
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Training
• Distance Learning Program
• Professional Training
• Policy Dvpt., Teaching & Research
• Approach: Training trainers
» Partnerships with Academic
Institutions/IGOs/NGOs - synergies for dvpt.
» Joint programs/publications, promo. materials
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Economic Development
Innovators, Creators & SMEs
Aim:
To improve IP awareness to enable formulation & implementation of:
– policies;
– programs;
– strategies
… in order to enhance strategic use of IP assets by innovators,
creators, entrepreneurs and SMEs, e.g. through licensing
agreements, attracting finance, etc.
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Services
Enhancement of global protection systems to further simplify
and reduce costs of obtaining protection in multiple countries
for:
- Patents (PCT):
- PCT Reform
- E-filing
- Trademarks (Madrid System)
- Industrial Designs (Hague System)
- Appellations of Origin (Lisbon System)
- Micro-Organisms (Budapest)
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Services
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) offered by WIPO Arbitration
& Mediation Center -- Tailor-made Dispute Resolution procedures,
e.g.:
- UDRP criteria:
- identical/confusingly similar
- legitimate interest
- bad faith
- cost-effective and expeditious
procedure : see http://arbiter.wipo.int
- WIPO Trademark Database Portal
http://ecommerce.wipo.int/databases/trademark/
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
The SMEs Division
• In September 2000, the WIPO Assemblies
approved the creation of “a substantial new
program of activities, focusing on the IPrelated needs of SMEs worldwide”
• SMEs Division established in October 2000
• Nine professionals and three administrative
staff in the SMEs Division of WIPO
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Strategy
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Demystification
New audience
New Areas
Proactive
E-Services
Partnership
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification
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Studies
Guides
Events and expert missions
Website and newsletter
CD-ROM
Magazine articles
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification (Studies)
• National Studies (on IP and SMEs) completed or
under way in Argentina, Bhutan, Mongolia,
Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Sierra
Leone, Romania, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El
Salvador, Honduras and Paraguay, Egypt,
Morocco, Lebanon
• WIPO Survey of IP Services to Tenants of
European Technology Incubators
• Norwegian SMEs and the IPR system
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification (Guides)
• WIPO/ITC Guide on Marketing of Crafts and Visual
Arts; Role of Intellectual Property; A practical guide
• WIPO/ITC Guide on Secrets of Intellectual Property:
Guide for Small and Medium Sized Exporters
• WIPO/ITC Guide on Exchanging Value: Negotiating
Technology Licensing Agreements - A Training
Manual
• ITC Guide on Exporting Automotive Components
• ITC Guide on Exporting Pharmaceuticals
(Forthcoming)
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification (Guides)
Published
• Making a Mark
(Trademarks)
• Looking Good
(Designs)
• Inventing the
Future (Patents)
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification (Guides)
• Translation and/or customization: Under
way, with funding from several sources, in the
following countries: Algeria, Argentina,
Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt,
Estonia, Hungary, Italy, India, Israel,
Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Malta,
Mongolia, Morocco, New Zealand,
Philippines, Poland, Slovakia, Spain,
Tanzania, Tunisia, Vietnam
• 16 Countries members of the OAPI
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification (Events)
• Special programs, seminar and
workshops organized by the SMEs
Division in Geneva in partnership with
selected associations and organizations
(IASP, INSME, IPI, MOST, WASME)
• Annual WIPO Forum on IP and SMEs
for IP Offices of OECD Countries
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification (Events)
• WIPO-Italy Forum on Textile
and Clothing Industries of the
Mediterranean Basin
Countries (Prato, Italy December 2003)
• Participants from Algeria,
Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Israel,
Lebanon, Malta, Morocco,
Palestine, Syria, Tunisia,
Turkey
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification
(Website)
• The Website of the SMEs Division is in six UN
languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic,
Russian and Chinese)
• More than 60,000 pages viewed every month in
2004
• Contents include sections such as IP for
Business, IP and E-Commerce, Activities, Best
Practices, Case Studies and Documents
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification (Website)
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification (Newsletter)
• Monthly e-newsletter in the 6 UN
languages (Free)
• Content includes articles, updates
with information, links and
documents
• Launched in August 2001
• Total number of subscribers: >19,000
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification (CD-ROM)
• 50,000 copies of the SMEs Division CDROM distributed to SME support
institutions, IP Offices and others
worldwide
• Marketing and customization
• E-learning CD ROM (in partnership
with KIPO: “IP Panorama”)
• SAARC CD-ROM (in preparation)
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(1) Demystification (Articles)
• Some articles recently published:
– What to do if you are accused of copyright
infringement
– Tapping into Patent Information: a buried treasure
– International trade in technology – licensing of
know-how and trade secrets
– Intellectual Property and E-commerce: how to take
care of your business’ website
– Offshore outsourcing and IP
– Savvy marketing: merchandising of IP rights
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(2) New Audience
• Bringing IP issues to SME events
• Bringing new business perspective to IP
events
• New partnership: Open door policy
• IGOs, government focal points, SME support,
training and financial institutions, chambers
of commerce and industry, SME associations,
SME research institutions, private sector
institutions, universities, etc...
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(3) New Areas
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Creative Industries
IP for financing (venture capital, securitization)
Accounting and valuation of IP assets
IP Asset Management, IP Due Diligence and IP Audit
Fiscal policies and IP (tax incentives for R&D activities,
patenting, licensing etc.)
• IP services to SMEs by incubators, technology parks,
chambers of commerce and SME associations
• IP needs of SMEs in agriculture, biotechnology,
handicrafts, software, textiles, etc
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(4) Being Proactive
• Original Content
• Links
• Best Practices
• Case Studies
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(5) E-Services
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Web site content
SME mail
E-mail newsletter
Distance learning (proposed)
Discussion forum (proposed)
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
(6) Partnership
• National and Regional IP Offices
• National SME focal points in government, private
sector
• Chambers of Commerce and Industry
• SME Associations; Cooperatives
• Incubators, Science Parks, Technology Parks
• Universities; R & D Institutes
• Private Sector Consultants
• SME Finance Institutions (including venture
capitalists)
• Other UN Agencies (ITC, ILO, UNIDO, AfDB)
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO
Thank You
Donna Ghelfi
donna.ghelfi@wipo.int
www.wipo.int/sme/en/index.html
www.wipo.org
The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division of WIPO