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Brief Notes on WIPO, TRIPS, and WTO

(i) WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)

WIPO is a specialized United Nations agency that leads global cooperation on intellectual property (IP). It promotes the protection of patents, copyrights, trademarks, designs, and related rights across countries.

• Established to develop balanced and effective international IP systems that encourage innovation and creativity.
• Administers key IP treaties and provides global filing systems:
  • PCT for international patent applications
  • Madrid System for international trademarks
  • Hague System for international industrial designs
• Runs the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, including domain name dispute resolution (UDRP).
• Leads work on digital-era issues such as online copyright, software, digital content, and internet treaties (e.g., WCT, WPPT).
• Supports capacity building and policy guidance for member states.

(ii) TRIPS (Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights)

TRIPS is a comprehensive international agreement that sets minimum standards for IP protection and enforcement among World Trade Organization (WTO) members.

• Covers major IP areas: patents, copyrights, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs, trade secrets (undisclosed information), and layout-designs of integrated circuits.
• Core principles: national treatment, most-favored-nation (MFN), and minimum standard harmonization across members.
• Requires effective enforcement measures, including civil remedies, criminal penalties for willful infringement, and border measures against counterfeit and pirated goods.
• Includes flexibilities to balance public interest and innovation, such as compulsory licensing and permitted exceptions/limitations.
• Relevant to the digital economy: establishes baseline protection for software (as literary works), databases (subject to originality), and enforcement frameworks that countries apply to online infringement.

(iii) WTO (World Trade Organization)

The WTO is the global body that sets and oversees rules for international trade. It provides a platform for negotiations, monitors compliance, and resolves trade disputes among member countries.

• Administers multilateral trade agreements, including TRIPS, GATT (goods), and GATS (services).
• Operates a binding dispute settlement system that enforces members’ obligations, including those under TRIPS.
• Conducts trade policy reviews and supports transparency in national trade measures.
• Works on emerging issues such as e-commerce and the digital economy to facilitate secure, predictable online trade.

In Simple Terms

• WIPO: UN agency focused on creating and administering IP systems and treaties.
• TRIPS: The rulebook that sets minimum IP protection and enforcement standards for WTO members.
• WTO: The trade organization that hosts TRIPS and ensures countries follow those IP rules through dispute settlement.