The Paris Convention, originally signed in 1883 and subsequently amended seven times, contains a provision – Article 6ter – that prohibits signatory countries from registering unauthorised applications for trade marks that consist of "armorial bearings, flags, and other State emblems, of the countries of the Union".
A similar protection is also given to the "armorial bearings, flags, other emblems, abbreviations, and names, of international intergovernmental organisations of which one or more countries of the Union are members."
The new database, entitled the "Article 6ter Express", was launched earlier this year and forms part of the WIPO Industrial Property Digital Library. It is available free of charge.