The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial
Property was one of the first international intellectual property
(IP) treaties, covering patents, utility models, industrial
designs, trademarks, service marks, trade names, indications of
source or appellations of origin, and unfair
competition.
Here are our 10 key facts about this pivotal treaty:
1. Its origins lie in the Austria-Hungarian Empire
In 1873, the Government of the Empire of Austria-Hungary invited
overseas inventors to participate in an international exhibition of
inventions in Vienna. However, many declined due to concerns over
inadequate legal protection for their innovations. After first
passing a law to secure temporary IP protections for all foreigners
participating in the exhibition, the Empire convened the Congress
of Vienna for Patent Reform later that same year. At the follow-up
International Congress on Industrial Property, which took place in
Paris in 1878, attendees agreed to
