World Intellectual Property Day: April 26

Every year, the World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated on April 26. The day is celebrated to highlight the importance of Intellectual Property. The day is celebrated by the World International Property and several other international organisations.

This year, the World Intellectual Property Day is being celebrated under the following theme:

Theme: IP and SMEs: Taking your ideas to market

World Intellectual Property Day

The day was established by the World Intellectual Property Organisation in 2000. It aims to increase awareness on how copyright, patents, designs and trademarks impact on daily life.

Why April 26?

April 26 was chosen to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day as “Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organisation” entered into force.

Celebrating World Intellectual Property Day was proposed by China.

World Intellectual Property Organisation

The WIPO was established in 1967. It entered into force in 1970. It is one of the fifteen specialized agencies of the United Nations. The organisation administers 26 international treaties that ranges between protection of broadcast and establishing international patent classification.

India is a member of WIPO. India is also a member of the following WIPO administered international treaties:

• Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities.
• Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol
• Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms
• Washington Treaty on Intellectual Property in respect of Integrated Circuits
• Patent Cooperation Treaty
• Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks- Madrid Protocol
• Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
• Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
• Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization
• Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2021