World Intellectual Property Organization

Global IP Infrastructure

WIPO cooperates with intellectual property (IP) offices, users and other stakeholders to develop shared IP tools, services, standards, databases and platforms.

This technical infrastructure is designed to help IP institutions collaborate more effectively and deliver more efficient services to their users; as well as enabling innovators and information-seekers worldwide to freely access the knowledge contained in the IP system.

Our approach to building global technical infrastructure includes the development and sharing of:

(photo: iStockphoto.com/braverabbit)"Just as participation in the physical economy requires access to roads, bridges, and vehicles to transport goods, similar infrastructure is needed in the virtual and knowledge economy." - WIPO Director General Francis Gurry (full interview).

Developing IP infrastructure

We assist all our member states and other stakeholders in coordinating and developing global IP infrastructure through the following services, databases, standards, tools and fora:

Services for offices

The WIPO Digital Access Service (DAS) enables IP offices to exchange priority and other similar documents securely among themselves.

The WIPO Centralized Access to Search and Examination (CASE) system enables patent offices to securely share search and examination documentation related to patent applications, for a more efficient international examination process.

Global IP databases and initiatives

PATENTSCOPE now has over million patent records - including international and major national collections.

Our Global Brand Database and Global Design Database streamline trademark and industrial design searches, allowing users to search  data collections simultaneously via a single, intuitive interface.

WIPO Lex is a one-stop search facility for national laws and treaties on intellectual property (IP) of WIPO, WTO and UN Members.

 

Standards

WIPO Standards facilitate the international exchange and dissemination of industrial property information.

Tools

Our international classification systems facilitate searches for inventions, trademarks and industrial designs by organizing information into indexed, manageable structures.

Initiative

The Global Dissemination of IP Data Initiative encourages and supports the exchange of IP data among national/regional IP offices and WIPO.

Fora

The Global Symposium for IP Authorities facilitates discussions on the modernization and administration of IP Offices.  Past meeting documents: 2011    2010    2009

The PATENTSCOPE Users Forum brings together patent law associations, user groups, experts and other stakeholder from around the world to exchange knowledge on matters related to patent databases.

Building capacity to participate in the knowledge economy

WIPO assists developing countries in building their IP infrastructure to increase their capacity to participate in the knowledge economy.  Our work in this area, which also contributes to key WIPO Development Agenda projects, includes:

  • Technical assistance - We provide business systems for IP offices from all regions to enable them to participate effectively in the global IP system.
  • TISCs - WIPO's Technology and Innovation Support Center program supports numerous countries in establishing technology information services designed to help innovators create, protect and manage intellectual property rights and develop new solutions to technical problems faced at the local and global levels.
  • ICE -  The International Cooperation for Patent Examination service provides expert assistance, training, and access to collections of patent documents to developing countries – all free of charge.
  • ARDI - The Access to Research for Development and Innovation program provides free or low-cost online access to major scientific and technical journals to local, not-for-profit academic and research institutions and national intellectual property offices in over 100 developing countries across the world.
  • ASPI - The Access to Specialized Patent Information program offers free or low-cost access to powerful tools and services for retrieving and analyzing patent information to academic and research institutions and patent offices in many developing countries.
TISC intellectual property support under discussion(Photo: Courtesy OMPIC)

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