ADR Stories

In Guatemala, disputes related to copyright and related rights may involve right holders, users of protected works, artists, producers, broadcasting organizations and collective management societies.

SMEs account for 90% of all businesses worldwide and 70% of global employment. They play a vital role in today's economy and making use of intellectual property (IP) rights can enable them to build stronger, more competitive, and resilient businesses. However, despite efforts, IP-related disputes can (and do) arise. WIPO promotes the use of mediation to reduce the impact of disputes in innovation and creative processes through initiatives such as the WIPO Mediation Pledge.

Counterfeiting and piracy are global threats that affect intellectual property (IP) rights holders, consumers and economies alike. In Paraguay, these illicit activities have posed a significant challenge, particularly for markets like luxury goods and pharmaceuticals. To address this problem, Paraguay's National Intellectual Property Office, (DINAPI) has adopted an innovative approach: mediation.

In a significant step towards facilitating access to justice and efficient dispute resolution, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (WIPO Center) has initiated a collaborative project with the Judiciary of Tanzania. Through this project, launched last August, the WIPO Center makes available at no cost WIPO online meeting platforms in mediation cases before the Judiciary of Tanzania, allowing parties and mediators to meet easily online, with greater convenience and flexibility.

Intellectual property (IP) is a critical component of modern economies, powering innovation and creativity. In 2023, on World Intellectual Property Day (marked every April 26), we celebrate Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity, commemorating women who continue to make significant contributions to IP, while raising awareness about the challenges faced when participating in the IP system. The field of IP benefits when women engage in innovation and creativity, providing for a diverse and inclusive ecosystem, and improving our collective capability to transition to a more sustainable future, including how IP disputes are resolved. 

In Africa, disputes over intellectual property (IP) rights are a common occurrence in the entertainment industry, especially when it comes to copyright infringement and contractual disagreements between artists and production companies. However, there is now an alternative way to resolve these disputes that is gaining popularity – Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods, such as mediation. This game-changing approach is being supported by Copyright Offices and sector organizations in the region, recognizing the sector’s needs.

What do disputes related to the international co-production of a film, the development of a mobile application, the rights to the design of a video game scenario, or the payment of royalties for the use of a song, all have in common? They have a negative impact on creators as well as the commercial exploitation of their IP rights. To reduce such impact, parties can refer their copyright and content disputes to mediation and arbitration. The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center actively collaborates with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (MCST) to raise awareness of and provide dispute resolution services to the creative industries in the Republic of Korea and beyond.

The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service was established in October 2019 in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. It is the first foreign arbitral institution approved by the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China to be engaged in arbitration and mediation of foreign-related IP dispute cases in China.

In order to respond to the meeting and travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Institute of Copyright of Mexico (INDAUTOR) and the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the WIPO Center) make available online conciliation meetings to resolve copyright disputes in Mexico. Online conciliation meetings have become a popular option to build back better post-pandemic.