WIPO launches global IP law database

The Brazilian Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial (INPI) informs that WIPO has launched another database tool.

The WIPO Lex provides access to legislation and treaties on Intellectual Property (IP) of more than 100 countries: members of WIPO, WTO (World Trade Organization) and the United Nations (UN). The WIPO webpage indicates that this database is a work in progress and therefore, there are some Members’ entries that are still pending.

I already have a look!

The platform enables to check the whole IP system and/or a particular legislation – copyright, plant variety, traditional knowledge, and unfair competition, to name a few, from a particular country. Members whose IP legal texts have been completed in the database are marked with an asterisk, for example Argentina and Peru. Bolivia and Venezuela for example are incomplete.

Noting my homeland – Venezuela, I have noticed an error. The database place as a main IP legislation the Industrial Property (Cartagena Agreement), Decision, 14/09/2000, No. 486. It is good to remember that on early 2006, Venezuela communicated in writing to the Chair and to the Representatives of the Member Countries on the Andean Community Commission its decision to denounce the Cartagena Agreement. Therefore, all rights and obligations stemming from a denouncer’s Membership cease to exist with the communication of its denouncement (Art 135 Cartagena Agreement).

This blog has brought to you some news regarding this situation in Venezuela, especially those referring to Patent in the pharmaceutical industry. On December 2009, the Venezuelan government ordered to scrutinize all pharmaceutical patents that have been granted under Andean Community legislation since their old Industrial Property Act of 1956 prohibited this type of patents (remember the annulments of Bayer’s patents? check here).