The Paris Convention

The Paris Convention, officially known as the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, is an international treaty established in 1883 that helps protect intellectual property rights, like patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, across member countries. It ensures that an applicant from one member country can seek protection in other member countries with minimal duplicate effort and maintains the same filing date. The convention also provides principles for fair treatment, national sovereignty, and equal rights for foreign applicants. Its goal is to promote innovation and commerce by facilitating easier and more predictable protection of creations across borders.