RIYADH: The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property participated in general assembly meetings of the World Intellectual Property Organization this week, the Saudi Press Agency reported. During the meetings, the Kingdom’s presidents of four associations were approved in addition to the presidency of the WIPO Conference. Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al-Suwailem, CEO of SIAP, was elected president of the Berne Union Society for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, which protects the works and the rights of its authors. The convention grants owners intellectual property and the means of controlling the way their works are used, who uses them, and the terms of use. The Berne Convention was concluded in 1886 and the Kingdom joined its 176 members in 2003. The executive vice president for Intellectual Property Policies and Partnerships, Eng. Sami Al-Sudais, was elected president of the Assembly of the International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property (Paris Union), with the Kingdom assuming the union’s presidency for the second time in a row. The assembly is concerned with industrial property in its broadest terms, which includes patents, trademarks, industrial designs, utility models, service marks, trade names, and data. The Paris Agreement concluded in 1883 and Saudi Arabia joined its 174 members in 2003. The executive vice president of Intellectual Property Operations, Ali Al-Shanqiti, was elected president of the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled. The association is concerned with setting a number of mandatory restrictions and exceptions for the group. The Marrakesh Treaty was adopted in 2013 and the Kingdom joined its 79 members in 2018. Finally, Intellectual Property Adviser Shayaa Al-Shayaa was elected head of WIPO’s General Assembly, which is one of the three main organs of the organization. It tackles issues of public importance in the field of intellectual property. Saudi Arabia has been a member of the assembly since 1982 and Shayaa Al-Shayaa was appointed president of the Locarno Union’s Association, which is a classification of industrial designs. The Kingdom joined its 59 members in 2020.