Professor Ricketson discusses the origins of the agreement, giving an overview of early debates about patent protection, before outlining the negotiations that led to the initial adoption of the Convention. He outlines the subsequent revisions of the Convention, and gives an overview of the present scope of the Convention, including the gradual expansion to include trade marks, designs and other industrial property titles, and its incorporation into the WTO through the TRIPS agreement.

The work explores a number of themes, including the broader significance of the agreement in relation to WIPO, the future significance of the Convention in the post-TRIPS environment, and why the Paris Convention has been less successful than its Berne counterpart.

A comprehensive overview of a key treaty, this work is essential reading for intellectual property policy makers, legal practitioners, and academics.