The United States delegation has expressed concerns over the financial sustainability of the Lisbon System at the recent WIPO Working Group meeting. In a statement, the U.S. noted that no progress has been made to ensure the system's financial responsibility to the organization.
The U.S. delegation highlighted that fees from PCT filings continue to be diverted to support the Lisbon Union. "This fee diversion cannot continue," they stated, pointing out that Lisbon is reliant on these payments and emphasizing that the United States is a major source of PCT filings. The statement also criticized borrowing from other systems without repayment expectations as unacceptable.
Concerns were raised about the Lisbon Union's fees being significantly lower than those of other systems like PCT, Madrid, and Hague. The U.S. remains apprehensive about Lisbon’s ability to sustain itself financially.
Additionally, the U.S. opposed using budgets from other WIPO registration systems for promoting the Geneva Act, arguing that such promotional activities would not resolve Lisbon's financial issues due to insufficient new accessions with many GI registrations.
The delegation stressed that all WIPO members should have a right to discuss an international protection system for geographic indications (GI) that meets all members' needs. This discussion is crucial for balancing GI protection against established generic use in countries where protection is sought, which was overlooked during the development of both the Lisbon Agreement and Geneva Act.
Referring to document WO/GA/47/3 and past interventions, the United States reiterated its stance for enabling action by submitting proposed measures concerning Geneva Act administration to the WIPO General Assembly through the Director General.