World Intellectual Property Day
Next: April 26, 2027
Every idea has an inventor.
The story
Where it comes from
World Intellectual Property Day marks the anniversary of 26 April 1970, when the convention creating the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) came into force. WIPO's roots go back to the Paris Convention of 1883, which protected inventions across borders, and the Berne Convention of 1886, which did the same for books, music and art. In 2000 WIPO's member states chose 26 April as a day to help people understand how patents, trademarks, designs and copyright touch daily life, and the first was held on 26 April 2001.
How it's celebrated
WIPO picks a topic each year and runs a global campaign around it, and intellectual property offices, universities and creative communities around the world hold talks and events on it. Many use the day to celebrate local inventors, designers, musicians and young creators. A simple way to join in is to find out who invented something you use every day, or to credit the artist next time you share their work.
Did you know
- The date was proposed by China and Algeria, because 26 April is the day the WIPO Convention came into force.
- The Berne Convention followed a campaign by the French writer Victor Hugo and his international association of writers and artists.
- When WIPO's forerunner, known by its French initials BIRPI, was set up in Berne in 1893, it had a staff of seven.
Coming up next
- International Design Day · April 27, 2027
- World Day for Safety and Health at Work · April 28, 2027
- International Dance Day · April 29, 2027
- International Jazz Day · April 30, 2027
- Labour Day (International Workers' Day) · May 1, 2027
- World Laughter Day · May 2, 2027