The Republic of Estonia is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization from 5 February 1994. The Republic of Estonia has acceded to all core level conventions and agreements administered by WIPO in the field of industrial property protection. From 1994 the Estonian delegation attends the annual meetings of the General Assembly of WIPO. The Estonian Patent Office works in close daily cooperation with WIPO. Representatives of the Estonian Patent Office participate in the work of Group Central Europe and Baltic States, and the standing committees and working groups of WIPO, such as the Program and Budget Committee. Under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks and the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement, the Estonian Patent Office works in close daily examination-related cooperation with the International Bureau of WIPO. The Director General of the Estonian Patent Office has long served as the head of Estonia's delegation at WIPO General Assembly. In collaboration with WIPO, the Patent Office annually awards a prize to a young inventor participating in the National Contest of Young Inventors. The Patent Office is also actively involved in the Baltic universities' knowledge transfer network meetings and training sessions. For example, next week, Tallinn will host the final module of the WIPO mentorship program and a conference for Baltic technology transfer specialists working with spin-off companies.
According to Margus Viher, Director General of the Estonian Patent Office, collaboration with WIPO and coordinating the CEBS group is highly significant for Estonia, because it enhances Estonia's visibility and influence on the global intellectual property landscape and directly benefits our economic growth. WIPO has made intellectual property protection more accessible, simplifying the registration of trade marks and enabling trade mark protection in multiple countries simultaneously. Online platforms have been developed to provide access to intellectual property rights and contracts. Highlighting the importance of intellectual property in economic development and trade, including measuring and ranking countries' innovation levels, is also crucial. Intellectual property protection ensures that creators and businesses can secure their inventions, trade marks, and other creations from unauthorized use. This provides legal certainty and encourages companies, especially SMEs, to invest further in innovation and development.
"In 2025, there are other new initiatives in WIPO-Estonia relations. For instance, a WIPO pilot project, 'Careers in IP,' has been launched to increase intellectual property awareness in Estonia. This initiative aims to grow the number of Estonian experts with better opportunities for pursuing careers in international organizations, including WIPO," Viher added.