Delegates from 76 Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) have been discussing the harmonisation of laws for the protection of trade marks which could result in a simpler, faster and less expensive system than exists at present for registering trade marks for international protection.

The meeting of WIPO’s Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications sought to harmonise the definition of a mark, non-traditional marks (smell marks, sound marks, holograms and three-dimensional marks), grounds for refusal of trade mark rights, and rights conferred by registration.

Unfortunately, the meeting did not produce any substantive proposals for amending current laws and procedures. The Committee will meet again in November to take the discussions forward.

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