Last week, ECTA and WIPO held their Bilateral Meeting at WIPO Headquarters in Geneva to discuss topics of mutual interest and importance, such as, among others:

• WIPO's main developments and plans, particularly in the context of the UDRP, new filing portal, technological developments and AI-based tools;

• Update on Madrid and Hague systems developments, also following recent China’s accession to the Hague system;

• WIPO update on the Lisbon Agreement and information about treatment of non-agri GIs;

• Frequent challenge by WIPO of the classification suggested by the Office of Origin and the applicant;

• and a number of other practical IP topics.

ECTA was represented by Mladen Vukmir (President), Paola Ruggiero (Second Vice-President), Anna Ostanina (Head of Legal Affairs), Bernard Volken (WIPO-Link Committee Chair), Valeria Conidi (WIPO-Link Committee Vice-Chair), and Julien Scicluna (International Trade Committee Chair and SME Task Force member).

We are extremely grateful to WIPO for the very productive meeting and for the fruitful cooperation and open dialogue we have established over the past years.