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What is at Stake in the Design Law Treaty

September 6, 2024 | 10am - 12pm EST 16:00 - 18:00 CET
Link to Video of Event

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has re-engaged in norm-setting activities and is poised to convene a diplomatic conference on the Design Law Treaty (DLT), a treaty that has received limited scholarly and expert analysis. The prevailing legal and policy discourse has largely dismissed the significance of DLT, characterizing it as merely a "procedural" agreement. This public roundtable discussion, featuring three prominent international intellectual property and design law scholars, aims to challenge that narrative. The DLT, in fact, includes provisions that may blur the line between procedural and substantive law, with its procedural elements potentially yielding distributive effects with far-reaching economic, social, and developmental implications. Our panelists will address the following topics in a roundtable format. 

Introduction and Moderation

Sean Flynn, Director, PIJIP, American University Washington College of Law

The Treaty in the Context of Existing Design Law

First Responder: Thomas Margoni, Research Professor of Intellectual Property Law, Faculty of Law and Criminology, KU Leuven

The Treaty in the Context of the International IP Framework

First Responder: Christine Farley, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law

The Treaty's Proposal for a Non-Mandatory Disclosure of Origin for TCE/TK/GR

First Responder: Margo Bagley, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law

Issue Spotting: proposals of interest in the draft text

Additional Resources