Intellectual property international treaties and conventions

IP laws are almost always national in nature. However, there are many conventions and treaties under which nations agree to provide minimum levels of IP protection, and to protect IP created by nationals of other countries.

The World intellectual property Organization (WIPO) administers over 20 treaties and conventions on the registration, classification and protection of IP. Details of the treaties it administers, and the parties to those treaties, can be found on its website.

This Practice Note discusses some of the major conventions and treaties it administers. It does not cover all of the treaties and conventions relating to European patents.

paris convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (1883)

This was the first convention to harmonise the IP laws of its contracting states. It applies to patents, trade marks, industrial designs, utility models, trade names and geographical indications. A list of contracting states can be found here.

Major provisions

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each contracting state must grant the same protection to nationals of other contracting states as it does to its own nationals
•
applicant for a patent, utility model,

Jurisdiction(s):

United Kingdom

Key definition:

Intellectual property definition

What does Intellectual property mean?

The trade secrets of an employer that are normally protected as registered trade marks, designs or copyright.

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