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.
