The Paris Convention for the protection of Industrial Property was adopted on March 20, 1883. The treaty marked a significant turning point in intellectual property development as it was one of the first intellectual property treaties of its kind. Notably, almost 140 years later the treaty is still in force.
One reason why the Paris Convention has stood the test of time is that it applies to intellectual property protection in a broad sense. The treaty's application covers patents, trademarks, industrial design, utility models, service marks, trade names, geographical indications, and the repression of unfair competition.
Another reason why the treaty remains significant is that the Paris Convention for Intellectual Property was the first step towards intellectual property protection not only in the country of origin but also in other countries. When the treaty was initially signed, only eleven countries agreed to participate in this noble endeavor. Today, it is easier to ask which countries are not part of the treaty rather than attempting to identify all the participants. At the time of writing, there are 176 countries recorded as signatories to the treaty.
The treaty also pioneered the concept of intellectual property priority rights. The idea of priority rights is that intellectual property rights holders can apply for IP protection for trademarks, patents, designs, and more across jurisdictions using the date of the original application. Read more