In the final weeks of 2013, businesses and organizations are taking the time to reflect on the past year and the new one ahead. The New Year is the perfect time to re-evaluate the progress made in the last 12 months, take what worked well into the upcoming year, as well as make improvements to build on prior success. For the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the first step for 2014 is updating its program and budget for the 2014-2015 biennium.

The organization recently spent a three-day session with its member states and assembly discussing a proposal regarding a diplomatic conference, which encompasses final negotiations towards an international treaty. This will not only help to finalize a design law treaty that will benefit designers seeking design protection, but will also simplify a number of filing rules that are currently varied by country. The approved budget will reallocate resources for two new WIPO external offices for China and the Russian Federation.

According to 4 Traders News, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry welcomed the “intensive and constructive engagement” of member states and said, “The program and budget for the next biennium provides a clear roadmap and performance targets that will drive the Organization's delivery of programs and results approved by member states.”

The Organization's program and budget includes an overall expenditure level of 673.2 million Swiss Francs, which represents a 3.8 percent increase over the current biennium. WIPO's total income is expected to grow by 4.5 percent to 713.3 million SFr for 2014/15.

Over the next couple of months, consultations on the guiding principles regarding external offices and on the establishment of further WIPO external offices will ensue. According to the WIPO, once finalized they will then be submitted for consideration and approval by the September 2014 WIPO Assemblies. The approval of the two new offices will add to the three existing offices in Brazil, Japan and Singapore. An additional 22 countries have expressed the wish to host WIPO external offices.

In recent news, this past year, intellectual property (IP) filings experienced the strongest increase in 18 years, recording a best-ever growth rate for 2012 global patent filings. According to the latest World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) report, patent filings grew by 9.2 percent, or 2.35 million applications filed in 2012. Utility model (UM) filings increased by 23.4 percent, while industrial design filings increased by 17 percent and trademark filings by 6.0 percent

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