The Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization was signed in Stockholm on July 14, 1967, and entered into force in 1970. Currently, there are 192 contracting states (China became a member of the Convention on June 3, 1980). In December 1974, the organization became a specialized agency of the United Nations, with its headquarters in Geneva. According to the provisions of Article 5 of the Convention on membership, any member of the alliance for the protection of intellectual property rights, as well as any country that has not joined any alliance but is a member of the United Nations or has been invited by the World Intellectual Property Organization Member Conference, can become a member of the organization.
The definition of intellectual property rights given by the Convention is: rights concerning literary, artistic and scientific works; rights concerning performances, recordings and broadcasts of performers; rights concerning inventions in all fields; rights concerning scientific discoveries; rights concerning industrial designs; rights concerning trademarks, service marks, trade names and logos; rights concerning the prohibition of unfair competition; and all rights arising from intellectual activities in the fields of industry, science, literature or art. The substantive provisions of the Convention stipulate various issues concerning the establishment of the World Intellectual Property Organization, including the purpose, powers, organizational structure, headquarters and financial issues of the organization.
The purpose of the Convention is to strengthen cooperation among countries through the establishment of the World Intellectual Property Organization and to collaborate with other international organizations to promote the protection of intellectual property rights worldwide, while ensuring administrative cooperation among various intellectual property alliances.
According to the Convention, the main tasks and powers of the organization include the following aspects.
(1) In promoting the protection of intellectual property rights worldwide, encourage the conclusion of new international treaties, coordinate the legislation of various countries, provide legal and technical assistance to developing countries, collect and disseminate information, and handle international registrations or other administrative cooperation matters between member states.
(2) In terms of administrative cooperation among various intellectual property alliances, the organization will concentrate the administrative work of various alliances in the Geneva International Bureau. The organization has become the administrative executive agency of more than a dozen alliances in the field of intellectual property.
(3) Provide assistance to developing countries in technology transfer, legislation and other aspects.