International intellectual property (IP) filings allow businesses, innovators, and creators to seek
protection for their intellectual property in multiple countries.
Intellectual property rights are territorial, which means protection granted in one country does not
automatically extend to another. To simplify the process, certain international systems administered
by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) allow applicants to file a single
international application and designate several countries where protection is sought.
However, each designated country still examines the application under its own domestic laws
before granting protection.
