At the 53rd series meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Francis Gurry was reappointed for a second six-year term as Director General of WIPO. The second term will run from October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2020.

How to meet the increasing demand for patent service and how to deal with the growing counterfeiting as well as piracy? Since his first term, Mr. Gurry and WIPO have faced both constant opportunity and challenge. In his last term, Mr. Gurry has led all member staffs in WIPO to make contributions to innovation as well as the development of knowledge-based economy. What is worthy to mention is that the cooperation between WIPO and China is much closer during the process and Mr. Gurry has become China's "old pal".

Mr. Gurry was born in 1951. He is an Australian national who has a good command of both English and French. He was qualified as a lawyer when he was studying for his master degree in University of Melbourne. After got his doctor degree, he served as a lawyer, a lecturer, and visiting professor, ect. In 1985, he started to work in WIPO and took various positions in WIPO hence, including Legal Counsel, Assistant Director General and Deputy Director General, ect.

Since his first term, Mr. Gurry have faced urgent challenge for IP in today's rapidly changing environment. To equip WIPO to meet these evolving challenges, Mr. Gurry has led a comprehensive program of organizational adjustment, realigning WIPO's programs, resources and structures with re-defined strategic goals which were adopted in 2009. The nine  strategic goals, which include the balanced evolution of the international normative framework, reflect WIPO's determination of transformation.

Under Gurry's leadership, WIPO, as a special IP department of the United Nations, has been dedicating to the improvement as well as development of the global IP system, and made significant achievements. The successful conclusion of Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances and Marrakesh Treaties are two of them. Moreover, the patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) as well as the international trademark filings under WIPO's Madrid System for the International Registration of Trademark frequently set a new record, and the applications under the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs also increase year by year.

With the development of China's IP community, Mr. Gurry's visit to China becomes much more often. During his tours, Mr. Gurry speaks highly of China's IP community. Meanwhile, China becomes more and more familiar with the tall director-general.

In April, 2009, China's former premier Wen Jiabao met Mr. Gurry in Beijing. During the meeting, Mr. Gurry expressed high appreciation of China's achievements in strengthening IP protection and implementing IP strategy, wishing both WIPO and China could make contributions to the development of global IP protection together.

Just like the situation during his last term, Mr. Gurry and WIPO also face the fundamental challenge of achieving a shared understanding of the contribution and value of IP to economic, social and cultural development. As what he said in his speech,"the politics of IP are, in my view, becoming more, rather than less, challenging. I hope that I shall be able to count on the support and charitable disposition of both the Member States and the staffs. I very much look forward to working with you all. "

(China IP News)

2014-05-29

2014-05-29