About AIPPI

– Advancing IP since 1897

AIPPI’s objective is to improve and promote the protection of intellectual property on both international and national bases. It pursues this objective by working for the development, expansion and improvement of international and regional treaties and agreements and national laws relating to intellectual property.

It operates by conducting studies of existing national laws and proposes measures to achieve harmonisation  of these laws on an international basis. Where appropriate, AIPPI intervenes with submissions before major courts and legislative bodies to advocate for strengthened IP protection.

Have a look at the introduction video to discover more about the association.
Interested in joining the Congress? Discover the different sessions in the video below.

Members of AIPPI are individuals interested in intellectual property protection on a national or international level.

They include lawyers, patent attorneys, patent agents and trademark agents, as well as judges, scientists and engineers. They also include corporations.

AIPPI is organised into 66 National and 2 Regional Groups and membership is obtained by joining one of these Groups. In countries where no Group exists, membership is obtained as an Independent Member in the international organization.

The primary international bodies of AIPPI are:

• the General Assembly, in which all members have a right to participate, and which is responsible for adopting and modifying the Statutes;
• the Executive Committee, made up of Delegates of all of the Groups – around 300 in number; this is the principal decision-making body of AIPPI;
• the Council of Presidents, made up of the Presidents of the Groups plus a representative of the Independent Members;
• and the Bureau which directs the activities of AIPPI; it is formed of sixteen members including the President of AIPPI (who chairs the Bureau) and two Vice Presidents; the Secretary General and two Deputies who, with two Assistants, are responsible for administration and representation; the Reporter General and two Deputies who, with four Assistants, organize the substantive work of the Association; a Treasurer General who is in charge of financial resources.

The General Secretariat and its staff have an office in Zurich, Switzerland.

AIPPI has the following Statutory Committees: the Programme Committee which recommends to the Executive Committee the subjects for study; the Finance Committee which acts as an internal auditor; the Nominating Committee which proposes candidates for the various elective offices; the Membership Committee which acts as a bridge between the membership and the Bureau; the Communications Committee which disseminates information about AIPPI and its activities; and the Venue Selection Committee which proposes venues for future AIPPI annual meetings (Congresses).

A World Congress open to all members is held annually, in September or October. Normally, up to 2000 members attend with accompanying persons.

At a World Congress, pending Study Questions concerning international law are discussed and decisions taken on a consensual basis. At the same time, a World Congress serves as a forum for an Educational Programme, offering a Professional Development Programme with valuable educational sessions.

The Executive Committee convenes at each Congress. The Council of Presidents also meets annually during each Congress.

Other Online Meetings are held throughout the year on various topics, for example Young AIPPI Members, or law development in smaller jurisdictions.

There are further in-person meetings organised by the National Regional Groups, for example the yearly Trilateral Meeting of the AIPPI National Regional Groups France, Germany and Poland.

Naturally, all AIPPI meetings, at which IP issues are discussed and worked on in small groups and in plenary sessions, interspersed with social functions, provide an excellent opportunity for members to meet and build personal and professional relationships.

AIPPI publishes (electronically) the results of its substantive work in a Yearbook, prepared after each annual World Congress.

In order to keep the membership informed, the General Secretariat publishes a Newsletter minimum six times per year. It includes executive summaries of the most recent international developments as well as articles on administrative matters.

This website has become an indispensable tool for anyone interested in intellectual property. The Library, for example, contains all substantive Study Questions which are currently being considered, as well as those which have been considered since AIPPI’s founding in 1897. The website also includes information on international, regional and national meetings, along with a list of officers and committee chairs and members. The membership portal under Login includes exclusive information to members and hosts the membership directory.

Under the supervision of the Reporter General and the Chairman of the Programme Committee, AIPPI conducts its substantive work, namely, the study of issues of topical concern in the IP world.

Once the annual work programme is established, Study Committees are formed to study each pending Study Question (SQ). The Reporter General team prepares Guidelines which the Groups follow in preparing their individual Reports. The Reports are then synthesized by the Reporter General team into a Summary Report. These Reports and the Summary Report are the basis for the Study Committees in the preparation of Draft Resolutions which are then discussed at Congresses. When a consensus is achieved, a final Resolution (Plenary Approved SQ Resolution) is prepared for adoption by the Executive Committee. Over 700 Resolutions have been passed by AIPPI. With those Resolutions, AIPPI has had a major influence on the development of international IP Law.

AIPPI’s Resolutions are published in English, French, Spanish and German and sent to WIPO, WTO, Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, and patent and trade mark offices around the world.

The representatives of AIPPI act as its ambassadors, liaise with all important international Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations and promote mutual coordination and cooperation. AIPPI has regular high-level contacts with international and regional institutions. In particular, AIPPI has annual meetings with the Director General of WIPO, enabling AIPPI to take account of WIPO’s proposals in AIPPI’s working agenda, as well as with major IP offices. Furthermore, AIPPI meets regularly with officers of other NGO’s to discuss issues of mutual interest. AIPPI endeavours to promote the development of national law in International Forums and Symposia and by direct consultation, in particular in developing countries.

These coordinated efforts for improving and harmonising  IP protection at international meetings often lead to relationships beyond the purely professional, which in turn deepen mutual understanding across national borders.

Some important examples are as follows:

• Promotion of Revisions of the Paris Conventions leading to enormous improvement in the protection of industrial property during the 20th century.
• The establishment of the Trade Marks Law Treaty (which is the result of an AIPPI initiative).
• The passing of Resolutions (such as the test for the experimental use exception in patent law) which are cited as authority on what the law should be in some jurisdictions.
• Delegations of AIPPI are recognized as active participants in all major international and regional discussions on intellectual property law projects like Patent Law Treaty, European Community Patent Convention, Directive of the European Union on Biotechnology, the Hague Agreement and the Madrid Protocol, to mention just a few.

AIPPI strongly encourages young members to participate in the work of the Association. Young Members are defined as those who are aged 36 or below, and they benefit from a reduced fee in relation to membership fees, the registration fee for the AIPPI World Congress and the eligibility to join the Young AIPPI Forum (YAF).

The YAF was first launched in 2017 during the Sydney Congress with an interactive session on networking in a multicultural environment. The aim of the session was to prepare younger members to take advantage of the AIPPI World Congress to meet other members from all over the world. This initiative continued in the following World Congresses. The YAF also provides a special space for Young Members to network with their peers, share experience and to build closer relationship with other members in their age group.

Best of Young AIPPI Activities 2023

Best of Young AIPPI Forum 2023

At the 2023 AIPPI World Congress, Young Members gathered in Babylon, an exciting networking location in Istanbul, Turkiye. The enthusiastic members followed a workshop about influencing and inspiring others. After the workshop, they could network while enjoying a wonderful cocktail.

Best of Young AIPPI Activities 2022

Best of Young AIPPI Forum 2022

After two years of online YAF events, the session took place in-person during the AIPPI World Congress in San Francisco. The main purpose was to meet other young members, to exchange views and build connections.

Young AIPPI Summit 2022

In June 2022, AIPPI held the first Young AIPPI Members Summit online with global participation of young members and speakers. Young practitioners covered the topics of the Metaverse, licencing frameworks, life sciences inventions and leadership in the digital age. A great success to be continued.

Best of Young AIPPI Forum October 2021

The Resilient Professional is an interactive virtual seminar that addressed some of the challenges faced by young AIPPI members when balancing the demands and expectations of their work environments with their own circumstances and personal aspirations.

Set against the background of the pandemic and the so-called new normal, the session offered participants practical tools to address these challenges and enhance their resilience when undertaking this balancing act.

As with previous YAF sessions, participants had the invaluable chance to meet other young members and make new connections through the networking opportunity of facilitated smaller group activities and discussions during the seminar.

Best of the Young AIPPI Forum 2020