Cook Islands join WIPO

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Cook Islands has notified that they have deposited the instrument of accession of the Convention Establishing the Word Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), signed at Stockholm in 1967.

The deposit occurred past July 2th, 2016 and will enter into force October 27th, 2016.

The Cook Islands are an island country in the South Pacific Ocean with close legal ties to New Zealand. In fact, most New Zealand Intellectual Property Acts were in force in the Cook Islands, until recently. However, trademark registrations are not possible and protection derives from common law, by ways of publishing cautionary notices in newspapers and use of the trademarks. Patent protection extends from New Zealand.

The accession of the Cook Islands to WIPO reinforces the country’s interest in establishing solid IP protection and further developments such as national or international applications being possible are expected.