Definition

WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), OMPI in French, is the United Nations agency dedicated to intellectual property. Based in Geneva and founded in 1967, it has 193 member states.

Core missions

• Administer the Madrid system for trademarks
• Administer the PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) for patents
• Manage the Hague system for designs
• Run the Arbitration and Mediation Center, which handles UDRP disputes
• Maintain global databases (Global Brand Database, Patentscope)

Why it matters for a business

• Single entry point to extend a trademark internationally
• Global tool for prior rights search
• Forum for domain name disputes through UDRP
• Source of standards and best practices (Nice classification, Vienna classification)