Pooley nominated as WIPO deputy director-general
Barack Obama’s administration has nominated Morrison & Foerster partner Jim Pooley to be a deputy director-general at WIPO.
His nomination will have to be approved by WIPO’s 184 member states at a meeting in September.
There are four deputy director-general positions at the World intellectual property organization, one of which is vacant following Francis Gurry’s election as director-general last year. There are also three assistant director-general positions.
All of the positions in WIPO are up for election this year. Appointments, which will take effect from the beginning of 2010, are normally for six-year terms.
By convention, a US representative fills one of the positions in WIPO. Michael Keplinger of the US is the current deputy director-general with responsibility for copyright and enforcement.
Pooley was one of the main candidates to be USPTO director. He is a partner in the Palo Alto office of Morrison & Foerster in the firm’s litigation department and served as 2008 president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).
Source: www.managingip.com
World Intellectual Property Organization
WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation. We are a self-funding agency of the United Nations, with 193 member states.
Our mission is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international IP system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all. Our mandate, governing bodies and procedures are set out in the Convention, which established WIPO in 1967.
