WIPO Update: Contracts Webinar, ISNI Partnership, and New Treaty

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held a webinar presenting the toolkit on Contracts in Publishing as well as joining ISNI as a new registration agency all against the background of the second Diplomatic Conference of the year, where the Riyadh Design Law Treaty was adopted.

Contract in Publishing: A toolkit for authors and publishers

On 13 November, John Degen, the Chair of the International Authors Forum (IAF) and Brian Wafawarowa, Chair of the Publishers Association of South Africa discussed the toolkit (authored by Wafawarowa and Isobel Dixon), which provides information on copyright-related aspects and contractual options in the publishing sector. The speakers agreed that the toolkit attempted to present a balanced approach considering the interests of both authors and publishers, offering guidance to building basic knowledge and skills for successful publishing, co-publishing and licensing deals.

You can read the toolkit here and watch videos from the session here.

WIPO join s ISNI as a new registration agency

On 18th November, the International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) International Agency announced that WIPO had become an ISNI Registration Agency and agreement that had been formalized in October 2024 at the IFRRO World Congress and General Assembly in Québec, Canada.

Through this collaboration, WIPO will integrate the International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) system into its WIPO Connect platform, a comprehensive tool for Copyright Management Organizations (CMOs). WIPO Connect facilitates data sharing, licensing, and identification services, streamlining operations across the global rights management ecosystem. The integration will allow WIPO-affiliated CMOs to assign ISNIs directly to their members, enhancing the visibility, accuracy, and protection of intellectual property (IP) assets internationally.

WIPO Member States Adopt Riyadh Design Law Treaty

On 22 November, WIPO member states approved a new Treaty that will make it easier, faster and more affordable for designers to protect their designs both at home and abroad, marking a major step forward in empowering designers and fostering international collaboration in design.

Speaking at the end of the diplomatic conference that was hosted by Saudi Arabia at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh from November 11-22, 2024, Mr. Tang said the Treaty - the second adopted by member states in the same year - is not only a victory for designers but a boon for multilateralism.

"In May, we came together to deliver the WIPO Treaty on IP, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge. Six months later, we came together again to deliver the Riyadh Design Law Treaty. We have demonstrated that multilateralism can change the world for the better," Mr. Tang said.

Read the full WIPO press release here.

New Webinar announcement: IPA President Karine Pansa in Conversation with Daren Tang

IPA is very excited to announce that our next webinar will be an exclusive conversation between IPA President Karine Pansa and the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Daren Tang. IPA members will receive registration information directly.