U.S. mulls fate of its leadership at WIPO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) approval of Palestine as a member could mean a diminished role for the United States in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the U.S. State Department says. As a member of UNESCO, Palestine can proceed to join other UN organizations like UNESCO and WIPO, but that would mean the U.S. will be unable to provide funding to them. Foreign Policy magazine noted this month that a 1994 American law (P.L. 103-236, Title IV) requires the U.S. government to stop its contributions "to any affiliated organization of the United Nations which grants full membership as a state to any organization or group that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood." The magazine also noted that another 1990 law (P.L. 101-246, Title IV) says: “No funds authorized to be appropriated by this act or any other act shall be available for the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof which accords the Palestine Liberation Organization the same standing as member states." Assistant Secretary of State Esther Brimmer briefed U.S. tech and copyright industries on the issue on Oct. 31 and “underscored U.S. concern that Palestinian membership in WIPO could have serious implications for U.S. leadership in this organization,” according to a bulletin posted on the U.S. State Department website. “The United States is a leading global voice on issues related to patent, copyright, and trademark matters, and should the U.S. be unable to provide its contributions to WIPO, the impact of that voice could be significantly diminished,” the note said.

U.S. mulls fate of its leadership at WIPO

Brief | November 1, 2011

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