North Korea begins accession to WIPO’s GI treaty
North Korea has begun the process of acceding to the global geographical indication (GI) system operated by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The news emerged in the closing days of WIPO’s 2019 Assembly meetings, which concluded in Geneva yesterday, October 9.
WIPO announced on October 8 that North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), had deposited its instrument of accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications.
Kim Chang Min, secretary-general of the DPRK’s national coordination committee for WIPO, deposited the instrument with WIPO director Francis Gurry.
WIPO said that the move constituted a “significant step forward towards the entry into force of the Geneva Act”, which will enter into force after five eligible parties have formally acceded to the treaty.
It was one of a number of treaty accessions that were confirmed during the course of the assembly meetings. These included Vietnam joining WIPO’s international design system, and Venezuela acceeding to the Marrakesh Treaty.
Samoa also joined the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on GIs, as well as the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), and the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement.
PCT safeguards
During the assembly meetings, WIPO also adopted amendments to the PCT regulations aimed at providing additional “safeguards” to applicants, and increase transparency in the examination process.
WIPO director Francis Gurry said that the organisation was “implementing significant changes to improve the efficiency of our operations, capitalising on new technologies to adapt to a rapidly evolving global knowledge economy where IP rights play an increasingly central role”.
The amendments provide “additional safeguards” to applicants in the event of IT failures at IP offices and provide “more opportunities to correct errors and omissions,” WIPO said.
WIPO also reiterated its desire to reach agreement on an international treaty on the protection of traditional and indigenous knowledge.
The organisation agreed to renew the mandate of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (the IGC).
The ICG mandate requires WIPO to “expedite its work” on finalising an agreement that will “ensure the balanced and effective protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions”.
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