6 International Protection of Intellectual Property
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Published:2000
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By its very nature, intellectual property is international in character. In today's world, the disclosure of a new invention or a copyrighted work can travel around the world literally at the speed of light. The improper use of a trademark on the Internet can mislead anyone having access to the World Wide Web. Thus, there is a strong international dimension to each of the major forms of intellectual property, but more needs to be accomplished in our global marketplace. A true leader in advancing international protection is the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The growth in the number of nations that belong to the WIPO is shown in Figure 1.