International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property

The International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, originally adopted in Paris in 1883, is a foundational treaty aimed at protecting intellectual property rights, including inventions, trademarks, and industrial designs, across different countries. It ensures that inventors who file an application in one member country receive the benefit of that initial filing date for subsequent applications in other member states.12

This convention, along with others like the Berne Convention for copyright protection, laid the groundwork for international cooperation in intellectual property. These efforts led to the establishment of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1970, which now administers over 20 intellectual property treaties and promotes worldwide protection for both industrial property and copyrighted materials.13