The Union for the Protection of Industrial Property was founded at Paris, March 20, 1883, by a convention to which 19 States were parties. They were Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway and Sweden, Portugal, Servia, Spain, Santo Domingo, Switzerland, Tunis, and the United States. The object of the union is to assure the protection of inventions, designs and models of an industrial character, trademarks, firm names and indications of origin. This convention was completed and modified by an additional act signed at Brussels, December 14, 1900.

Moreover, on April 14, 1891, agreements were signed at Madrid constituting restrictive unions, viz.: 1. International registration of manufacturing and trademarks and the protection of these marks in all the contracting countries by the single registration at an International Bureau. The parties to this agreement were Belgium, Brazil, France, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and Tunis. 2. The suppression of false indications of origin: Brazil, France, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and Tunis. The arrangement of 1891, concerning the international registration of Marks, was completed and modified by an additional act signed at Brussels, December 14. 1900.

The Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Property, founded at Bern. September 9, 1886, comprised fourteen states: Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Haiti, Italy. Japan, Luxemburg, Monaco, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and Tunis.

The object of this union is to assure effective protection to authors for their literary works, and to enable artists to enjoy the same security in their artistic productions throughout the whole territory covered by the union. This convention was completed and modified by an additional act and an interpretative declaration signed at Paris, May 4, 1896. Both of these unions are represented by a separate International Bureau established at Bern, and placed under the same directorate.