Applying to WIPO

On Thursday I sat down to interview for an internship at the World Intellectual Property Organization. WIPO is based in Geneva, Switzerland but as a part of the United Nations they also have facilities in the New York UN Building. The internship is, unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) not IN Geneva, but in New York, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

The position is dedicated to a UW Law Student thanks to the efforts of Prof. Takenaka, a master patents professors/litigator/prosecutor. I took patents from the professor in the Fall of 2004 and had a great time. That's not to say the two of us didn't fight like cats and dogs. See, if its not already apperant from the name of the blog, I'm a bit of a copyleftist. Unfamiliar with the term? Never fear, you'll learn about it as you read future posts, so let's leave it at that for today.

Anyway, she is big on patents and I think that, maybe, we've gone a bit too far. But it would seem that I made a good impression on her, because she decided to be my reference for the internship. That her assistant is the one conducting the interviews makes it all the more interesting. But interview I did, and we had a great 30 minute chat about how I'm going to keep my views on IP out of my business with WIPO, proud employer of the world's IP apologists. That's not to say that I don't share a lot of common beliefs with WIPO, but the debate has become so fracture and extreme that I would probably be considered a radical in their eyes.

The candidate pool started at 12, paired down to 4 interview candidates. By next week they will send just two names to WIPO for their final determination. And what does the finalist get from this process? A ten week internship in New York City, no expenses paid. You read that right, no funding. But dammit, I'm gonna go one way or another! Even if I spend nights on friends couches, this trip will become a reality.

More forthcoming when I find out.