Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have moved forward in discussions on a comprehensive program to harmonise trademark law internationally. At a meeting held May 27-31, members committed themselves to working toward further simplification and streamlining of registration procedures, and also identified areas for further discussion, such as the protection of industrial designs. Questions arising included: non-traditional marks (smell marks, sound marks, holograms and three-dimensional marks); grounds for refusal of trademark rights; and rights conferred by registration. According to a WIPO statement following the meeting: ‘By creating legal certainty through the adoption of common approaches, users of the many different trademark systems that exist worldwide will benefit from significant time and cost savings.’ Further information is available online at: www.wipo.org/pressroom/en/updates/2002/upd169.htm