Agreement between the World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Trade Organization
Done at: Geneva
Date enacted: 1995-12-22
In force: 1996-01-01
Preamble
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO),
Desiring to establish a mutually supportive relationship between them, and with a view to establishing appropriate arrangements for cooperation between them,
Agree as follows:
Article 1
Abbreviated expressions
For the purposes of this Agreement:
i. |
“WIPO” means the World Intellectual Property Organization; |
ii. |
“WTO” means the World Trade Organization; |
iii. |
“International Bureau” means the International Bureau of WIPO; |
iv. |
“WTO Member” means a party to the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization; |
v. |
“the TRIPS Agreement” means the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Annex 1C to the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization; |
vi. |
“Paris Convention” means the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of March 20, 1883, as revised; |
vii. |
“Paris Convention (1967)” means the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of March 20, 1883, as revised at Stockholm on July 14, 1967; |
viii. |
“emblem” means, in the case of a WTO Member, any armorial bearing, flag and other State emblem of that WTO Member, or any official sign or hallmark indicating control and warranty adopted by it, and, in the case of an international intergovernmental organization, any armorial bearing, flag, other emblem, abbreviation or name of that organization. |
Article 2
Laws and regulations
1. |
[Accessibility of Laws and Regulations in the WIPO Collection by WTO Members and Their Nationals] The International Bureau shall, on request, furnish to WTO Members and to nationals of WTO Members copies of laws and regulations, and copies of translations thereof, that exist in its collection, on the same terms as apply to the Member States of WIPO and to nationals of the Member States of WIPO, respectively. |
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2. |
[Accessibility of the Computerized Database] WTO Members and nationals of WTO Members shall have access, on the same terms as apply to the Member States of WIPO and to nationals of the Member States of WIPO, respectively, to any computerized database of the International Bureau containing laws and regulations. The WTO Secretariat shall have access, free of any charge by WIPO, to any such database. |
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3. |
[Accessibility of Laws and Regulations in the WIPO Collection by the WTO Secretariat and the Council for TRIPS]
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4. |
[Laws and Regulations Received by the WTO Secretariat from WTO Members]
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5. |
[Translation of Laws and Regulations] The International Bureau shall make available to developing country WTO Members which are not Member States of WIPO the same assistance for translation of laws and regulations for the purposes of Article 63.2 of the TRIPS Agreement as it makes available to Members of WIPO which are developing countries. |
Article 3
Implementation of Article 6ter of the Paris Convention for the purposes of the TRIPS Agreement
1. |
[General]
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2. |
[Objections] Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(a), any objection received by the International Bureau from a WTO Member which concerns an emblem that had been communicated to the International Bureau by another WTO Member where at least one of the said WTO Members is not party to the Paris Convention, and any objection which concerns an emblem of an international intergovernmental organization and which is received by the International Bureau from a WTO Member not party to the Paris Convention or not bound under the Paris Convention to protect emblems of international intergovernmental organizations, shall be transmitted by the International Bureau to the WTO Member or international intergovernmental organization concerned regardless of the date on which the objection had been received by the International Bureau. The provisions of the preceding sentence shall not affect the time limit of 12 months for the lodging of an objection. |
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3. |
[Information to Be Provided to the WTO Secretariat] The International Bureau shall provide to the WTO Secretariat information relating to any emblem communicated by a WTO Member to the International Bureau or communicated by the International Bureau to a WTO Member. |
Article 4
Legal-technical assistance and technical cooperation
1. |
[Availability of Legal-Technical Assistance and Technical Cooperation] The International Bureau shall make available to developing country WTO Members which are not Member States of WIPO the same legal-technical assistance relating to the TRIPS Agreement as it makes available to Member States of WIPO which are developing countries. The WTO Secretariat shall make available to Member States of WIPO which are developing countries and are not WTO Members the same technical cooperation relating to the TRIPS Agreement as it makes available to developing country WTO Members. |
2. |
[Cooperation Between the International Bureau and the WTO Secretariat] The International Bureau and the WTO Secretariat shall enhance cooperation in their legal-technical assistance and technical cooperation activities relating to the TRIPS Agreement for developing countries, so as to maximize the usefulness of those activities and ensure their mutually supportive nature. |
3. |
[Exchange of Information] For the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2), the International Bureau and the WTO Secretariat shall keep in regular contact and exchange non-confidential information. |
Article 5
Final clauses
1. |
[Entry into Force of this Agreement] This Agreement shall enter into force on January 1, 1996. |
2. |
[Amendment of this Agreement] This Agreement may be amended by common agreement of the parties to this Agreement. |
3. |
[Termination of this Agreement] If one of the parties to this Agreement gives the other party written notice to terminate this Agreement, this Agreement shall terminate one year after receipt of the notice by the other party, unless a longer period is specified in the notice or unless both parties agree on a longer or a shorter period. |
Done in Geneva on December 22, 1995.