The Foundation of the World Intellectual Property Organization: What Came Before

Abstract

In formal terms, WIPO was constituted by the provisions of a multilateral treaty negotiated in Stockholm in July 1967. This was signed by 51 countries from the developed and developing worlds and the former socialist bloc,1 and came into force formally on 26 April 1970, with the required number of accessions and ratifications by countries that were members of the Paris Union (10) and of the Berne Union (7). By the end of 1970, there were 22 member states, with a somewhat larger number (31) taking advantage of a provisional or transitional membership that was available for the first five years of the Organization’s existence.