Background knowledge
Property rights
International
Register.
Property rights
International
Register.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), based in Geneva, was founded in 1967 to simplify the international registration of trademarks, designs and other property rights.
WIPO’s main task is to develop and promote a balanced and harmonized system in the field of patents, trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property rights worldwide. WIPO’s main objective is to promote innovation and enable the free and fair exchange of knowledge and technology, which ultimately contributes to economic development and cultural diversity. To this end, the organization supports its 193 member states by providing technical advice, training and information services, enabling national and international legal systems to be better aligned. In addition, WIPO provides platforms and mechanisms for resolving intellectual property disputes in order to resolve conflicts efficiently and fairly. With these measures, WIPO not only strengthens trust in the international IP system, but also helps to ensure that creative and innovative achievements are adequately protected and remunerated worldwide.
International registration of trademarks – Madrid System
Through the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (MMA) and the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks(PMMA), owners of a national trademark (the so-called “base trademark”) in one member state can extend their trademark rights to the other member states through a single international registration via WIPO. This generally simplifies the application process enormously and thus reduces the effort and costs compared to filing individual applications in each country.
So können Marken für 133 Länder der Welt (Stand 08.07.2026) hierüber angemeldet werden, nämlich in
Afghanistan, Afrikanische Organisation für geistiges Eigentum (OAPI, hierzu zählen Benin, Burkina Faso, Kamerun, Zentralafrikanische Republik, Tschad, Komoren, Kongo, Côte d’Ivoire, Äquatorialguinea, Gabun, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauretanien, Niger, Senegal und Togo), Ägypten, Albanien, Algerien, Antigua und Barbuda, Armenien, Aserbaidschan, Australien, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgien, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnien und Herzegowina, Botsuana, Brasilien, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgarien, Chile, China, Dänemark, Demokratische Volksrepublik Korea, Deutschland, Estland, Eswatini, Europäische Union, Finnland, Frankreich, Gambia, Georgien, Ghana, Grenada, Griechenland, Indien, Indonesien, Iran, Irland, Island, Israel, Italien, Jamaika, Japan, Kambodscha, Kanada, Kap Verde, Kasachstan, Katar, Kenia, Kirgisistan, Kolumbien, Kroatien, Kuba, Laos, Lesotho, Lettland, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Litauen, Luxemburg, Madagaskar, Malawi, Malaysia, Marokko, Mauritius, Mexiko, Monaco, Mongolei, Montenegro, Mosambik, Namibia, Neuseeland, Niederlande, Nordmazedonien, Norwegen, Oman, Österreich, Pakistan, Philippinen, Polen, Portugal, Republik Korea, Republik Moldau, Ruanda, Rumänien, Russische Föderation, Sambia, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé und Príncipe, Saudi-Arabien (ab 08.10.2026), Schweden, Schweiz, Serbien, Sierra Leone, Simbabwe, Singapur, Slowakei, Slowenien, Spanien, Sudan, Syrien, Tadschikistan, Thailand, Trinidad und Tobago, Tschechische Republik, Tunesien, Türkei, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Ungarn, Usbekistan, Vereinigte Arabische Emirate, Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika, Vereinigtes Königreich, Vietnam, Zypern.
Die vollständige Mitgliederliste mit Zeitpunkt des Beitritts ist auf der Webseite der WIPO zu finden.
International registration of designs – Hager System
Under the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs, owners of a national design in a member state can extend their design protection to the other member states through a single international registration via WIPO. This generally simplifies the application process enormously and thus reduces the effort and costs compared to filing individual applications in each country.
This means that designs and industrial designs can be registered in 99 countries around the world (as of July 14, 2026) through this system, namely in the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI, which includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Comoros, the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo), Egypt, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Denmark, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Germany, El Salvador (effective October 7, 2026), Estonia, the Eurasian Patent Organization (effective October 10, 2026; this includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan), the European Union, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Cambodia, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Croatia, Laos (as of October 14, 2026), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, the Netherlands, Niger, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Poland, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Rwanda, Romania, the Russian Federation, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Hungary, Uzbekistan, United States of America, United Kingdom, Vietnam.
The complete list of members, including their dates of accession, can be found on the WIPO website.
International registration of patents – PCT system
Under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), holders of a national patent in one member state can extend their patent protection to the other member states through a single international registration filed with WIPO. This generally simplifies the application process enormously and thus reduces the effort and costs compared to filing individual applications in each country.
This means that patents can be filed through this system in 158 countries around the world (as of August 1, 2026), namely in Egypt, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Equatorial Guinea, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Australia, the Bahamas (as of August 19, 2026), Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Denmark, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Germany, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Djibouti, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Kuwait, Laos (People’s Democratic Republic), Lesotho, Latvia, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Morocco, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Austria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Rwanda, Romania, Russian Federation, Zambia, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Chad, Czech Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Hungary, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Central African Republic, Cyprus.
The complete list of members, including their dates of accession, can be found on the WIPO website.
International registration of designations of origin – Lisbon system
Under the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin, holders of a protected appellation of origin or geographical indication from a member state can extend that protection to the other member states through a single international registration with WIPO. This generally simplifies the application process enormously and thus reduces the effort and costs compared to filing individual applications in each country.
To date (as of July 21, 2026), relatively few countries have acceded to the Lisbon System, namely the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI, which includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Comoros, the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo), Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Dominican Republic, Djibouti, the European Union, France, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Israel, Italy, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Congo, Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Montenegro, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Oman, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Switzerland, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Togo, Czech Republic, Tunisia, Hungary.
The complete list of members, including their dates of accession, can be found on the WIPO website.
Our team
On IP Rights
Our team
On IP Rights
