World Intellectual Property Organization

Technical Assistance

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WIPO’s program of technical assistance to intellectual property (IP) offices provides business systems for offices and for national/regional institutions in developing and least developed countries (LDCs) to enable them to participate effectively in the global IP system.

It aims to help IP offices deliver better services to their stakeholders through:

  • efficient automated and standardized business processes for IP administration;
  • online services, including search, registry and filing systems;
  • integration into regional and international systems to enable the electronic exchange of data and documents.

IP office support - Wiki

    • access to technical documentation on products, specifications and new features developed for and deployed in national IP offices;
    • (for authorized users) access to software repository installation and change documentation.
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Business software solutions for IP offices

All IP offices have similar business processes and face similar challenges in processing applications for IP rights. We provide generic and customizable solutions that support the main business processes including reception, classification, examination, publication, notifications, registration and digitization of all documentation.

Our software solutions are modular and may be used together or integrated with other systems. For example, an office may use IPAS and integrate it with a different EDMS system. Similarly, all systems have open interfaces (application programming interfaces, or APIs) which enable them to be integrated with other systems such as financial management systems, external payment systems, online filing systems or online publication systems.

All software products are all based on open source technologies and free of license fees. Licenses may be required for the supporting systems software, such as operating systems and database management systems

Bar chart showing WIPO IP Office Systems - Usage by Region
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Available software

  • IPAS (Industrial Property Administration System): a workflow-based and highly customizable system that supports all the major business processes of an IP office;
  • AIPMS (Arab Industrial Property Management System): similar in functionality to IPAS, supporting right-to-left script for Arabic language. (This is being phased out as more language support is added to IPAS);
  • WIPO EDMS: an electronic document management system, based on the open source Nuxeo platform, enabling offices to create a fully electronic dossier to reduce or eliminate paper-based workflows;
  • WIPO Publish: to help offices provide online access to published documents, and to facilitate the exchange of published data and documents with international IP systems, such as the PCT and Madrid, and with regional and international IP databases.
  • WIPO Scan: tools for automating the digitization workflow, including indexation, quality control, and formatting of electronic documents according to WIPO standards.

Modules under development

  • WIPO File: for online submission of applications and supporting documents by applicants and agents. It will be modular and extensible and can be developed into a full online filing system by integrating with local payment and authentication systems.
  • WIPO Connect: an interconnected system to be used by collective management organizations (CMOs). It will enhance the way global data and rights flows are managed in beneficiary CMOs.

Project management and methodology

Our technical assistance projects are organized as cooperative projects between WIPO and the IP office. The aim is to assist IP offices to increase their capacities as much as possible using WIPO software solutions and to create projects with long-term sustainability.

Projects are initiated based on a request by the IP office concerned. This is followed by an assessment of the needs, capabilities and suitability of WIPO software solutions for the IP offices. If both parties agree to initiate the project, a project plan is created to clarify the roles and responsibilities, resource requirements and expected outcomes.

WIPO provides for the development, maintenance and support of the software solutions. WIPO also has a network of experts based in Geneva and in all regions of the world to provide on-site assistance, advice and project management services to offices.

Principles

  • The process is demand-driven and starts with a request from an IP institution.
  • An initial assessment determines the suitability of WIPO solutions for the office, and identifies required resources, project strategy and any pre-conditions.
  • A cooperation agreement sets the high-level framework for cooperation.
  • Standard terms and conditions clarify the use of WIPO-provided software solutions.
  • Project management responsibility is shared, and a project plan establishes the roles and responsibilities of WIPO, the IP office, and any external contractors.
  • Both parties commit to providing the necessary resources to execute the project.
  • Infrastructure (servers, networks, etc) is the responsibility of the IP office. WIPO can provide recommendations and technical specifications and can assist the office to seek external funding.
  • WIPO transfers knowledge to the IP office to the extent possible, through on-site training of users and technical staff and through regional workshops that are organized according to demand and available resources.
  • WIPO provides third-level support to offices (software support and maintenance), but first and second-level support (user helpdesk, troubleshooting, local maintenance) must be provided by the office.

Mandate

WIPO’s technical assistance program falls within Strategic Goal IV – Coordination and Development of Global IP Infrastructure. Within the WIPO Program & Budget, technical assistance to IP offices is part of Program 15 – Business Solutions for IP Offices.

Assistance is provided in accordance with the mandate of the WIPO Convention (Article 4(v)), provisions of WIPO-administered treaties such as the PCT, and the recommendations of the WIPO Development Agenda, particularly recommendations 8 and 10.

Related links

Cooperation

IP databases

IP services

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