The Library

Please note that the WIPO Library will be closed over the Christmas break on December 22, 23, 25, 26 and January 1, 2nd 2009.

Overview

The library of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized legal reference library designed to support the information needs of WIPO staff, delegates of WIPO member States and students of the WIPO Academy.  External researchers working in a subject area treated by the organization are welcome to consult the Library's print collection and are invited to make an appointment in advance of their visit. The WIPO library specializes in the field of intellectual property and focuses primarily on copyright and industrial property laws and treaties, as well as commentaries thereon.

Collection

The library's collections consist of some 35 000 monographs and 300 periodicals covering all aspects of intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, designs, utility models, copyright and neighbouring rights. The library also has significant holdings in biotechnology, plant varieties, traditional knowledge, folklore, arbitration, dispute resolution, economics, trade, e-commerce, and information technology. The library's holdings are available for searching via the Internet.

The WIPO library has an unique historical collection covering international conferences and records of proceedings dating back to the 1800's. The collection also includes some important historical books about Intellectual Property dating back to the same period. Some of the documents have been scanned and are available for consultation.