Francis Gurry appointed as Wipo director general

The General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo) appointed Francis Gurry, as Wipo Director General for a six-year term. A Wipo communication here on Tuesday said the term of Director General-elect begins on October 1 and runs through September 2014. In his acceptance speech, Francis Gurry outlined his priorities for the future and committed to the strategic realignment of the organisation.
In particular, he addressed the challenge of finding an effective response to the growing demand for patent services around the world, as well as the need to examine the future of copyright in a rapidly evolving business and technological environment.
He also identified the challenge of promoting respect for intellectual property rights in the face of widespread trade in counterfeit and pirated goods and Wipo's role in this endeavour. Charles Gurry referred to the need for reflection on the appropriate role of Wipo in addressing the escalating problems of trade in counterfeit and pirated goods, which according to one estimate exceeds 200 billion dollars. Gurry underlined the importance of broadening the intellectual property system.