New Book: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): A Reference Guide

GEG’s Carolyn Deere Birkbeck has published a new book, The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): A Reference Guide. 

As a ‘Specialized Agency’ of the UN, the World Intellectual Property Organization aims to be the premier global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information and cooperation. Whilst many individuals, firms, institutions and governments know and use WIPO services, the ways in which it functions, how priorities are set and decisions made are less well-understood. Indeed, a diversity of WIPO’s stakeholders and member governments express frustration that WIPO’s governance is not only complex but at times opaque. This practical guide is the first comprehensive reference book to illuminate the nuts and bolts of WIPO governance. It offers a unique insight into how WIPO is governed, described in clear, readily accessible terms for policymakers, scholars and stakeholders. The Guide reviews the origins of WIPO and sets out its current functions and activities, presenting a framework for analysing WIPO’s complex governance system. The text is accompanied by a number of valuable appendices, including key documents that to date have not been readily available to the public.

‘I can confidently say that this reference guide is by far the most comprehensive book to date on WIPO, with its very complicated and unique governance structure. It is an important, timely and much-needed resource that will very quickly become a classic in the field. Carolyn Deere Birkbeck's book will be of immense benefit to practitioners, including WIPO staff, government officials and IGO/NGO observers following WIPO matters, as well as academics and students of international organisations.’ – Edward Kwakwa, Legal Counsel, WIPO

‘For anyone interested in the international intellectual property system, Carolyn Deere Birkbeck’s reference guide is an obligation. This is not simply a guide describing the organic and normative structure of this future-defining UN organisation, but it is a practical guide to its functioning, culture and dynamics. With amazing detail and insightful information, Deere Birkbeck has written the ultimate guide to WIPO. It should be in every Geneva diplomat and delegate’s book shelf.’ – Maximiliano Santa Cruz, Chilean National Institute of Industrial Property, Chile

‘An invaluable resource for deciphering the WIPO institutional enigma. Must-have reading for the Geneva diplomatic corps and others that seek to influence international IP policy.’ – Frederick M. Abbott, Florida State University College of Law, US

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