Suomen AIPPI r.y. - Finlands AIPPI r.f.
STATUTES
1 § Name and domicile of the Association
The name of the Association in Finnish is Suomen AIPPI r.y. and in Swedish Finlands AIPPI r.f., and its domicile is the city of Helsinki. In international contexts, the Association can unofficially be referred to as the Finnish AIPPI Group.
2 § Purpose and nature of activities
Suomen AIPPI r.y. is a non-profit association that does not pursue financial gain.
The Association operates in Finland as a national chapter referred to in the statutes of Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle (AIPPI).
The purpose of the Association is to
1. promote the development of the international protection of industrial property rights;
2. participate, within the framework of AIPPI, in the research and comparison of national legislation with the objective of studying possibilities to improve and harmonise the laws of different countries;
3. work for the development of international conventions on intellectual property rights;
4. inform its members of the international development of the protection of intellectual property rights;
In order to achieve its objectives, the Association
1. organises conferences and seminars to distribute information and encourage dialog on international conventions, legislation and legal practice concerning industrial property rights;
2. maintains and establishes contacts with the international and national parties that can influence the protection of intellectual property rights;
3. pursues publishing activity;
4. prepares reports on national legislation and legal practice to AIPPI;
5. gives scholarships and grants for education and research on intellectual property rights.
3 § Members
The Association can invite as ordinary members natural persons with active interest in issues connected with international industrial property rights. New members are accepted by the general meeting at the presentation of the Board.
The Association can also have as accessory members legally competent corporations and foundations whose activities are connected with international intellectual property rights and which have a legal status.
4§ Resignation of a member
A member of the Association is entitled to resign by giving a written notification either the Board or to its chairman, or by requesting that the resignation is recorded to the minutes of the Association's meeting.
5§ Membership fee
The ordinary members and the accessory members of the Association shall pay an annual membership fee whose amount shall be approved by the annual general meeting separately for ordinary members and accessory members. If a member has not paid his membership fee after having received a reminder, the Board shall have the right to note that the member has resigned, at the earliest when two months have passed from the delivery of the reminder for the membership fee.
Having received a written application from the member, who has been considered as resigned, the Board has the authority to restore the membership, once the member has verifiably paid his/her overdue fees.
6§ Board
The affairs of the Association are administered by a Board which comprises of the chairman and of six (6) to ten (10) members. The chairman and the other members of the Board are elected by the autumn meeting. The Board elects a vice chairman, a secretary and a treasurer from its members. The two last-mentioned offices can also be entrusted to persons who are not Board members.
The Board is appointed for a term of two (2) calendar years at a time so that every year half of the members are in turn to resign. A person who has been a Board member for the last three (3) terms may only be reelected to the Board after two (2) years have passed calculated from the end of his/her last term in the Board. The chairman and the vice chairman are nonetheless in turn to resign only when four (4) years have passed after the beginning of their aforementioned post. The members to resign at first are decided by lot.
The Board constitutes a quorum when the chairman or the vice chairman and at least three (3) members are present.
Members who have been elected on AIPPI's Executive Committee but are not Board members are entitled to participate in Board meetings and use the right to speak and present proposals. However, they have no right to vote at the Board meetings. The Board can also invite other persons to participate in its meetings if it finds it appropriate.
7 § Signing for the Association
The chairman of the Board alone or any two Board members together sign for the Association.
8 § Financial period; audit
The accounts of the Association are closed for each calendar year. The financial statements and the report on operations shall be presented to the auditor at least three weeks before the annual general meeting. The auditor shall give his written report to the Board within one week from having received the accounts.
9 § Meetings of the Association
Each ordinary member has one vote at the meeting of the Association. Accessory members have no right to vote. The decisions are taken by a simple majority of votes unless otherwise stipulated in these statutes. In case of a tie, the vote of the chairman shall be decisive, except for elections of officers, which shall be held by drawing of lot. If so requested, elections of officers shall be held by closed ballot.
The Association has two (2) regular general meetings of which the spring meeting shall be held in April at the latest and the autumn meeting in December at the latest.
An extraordinary general meeting is summoned when the general meeting of the Association so decides or when the Board considers it necessary or when at least one tenth (1/10) of the members entitled to vote request it in writing from the Board to resolve a specially indicated matter. The meeting shall be held within thirty days of the date on which the request was presented to the Board.
10 § Annual general meetings
The spring meeting of the Association shall
1. deal with the report on operations, the annual accounts and the auditors' report;
2. decide on the adoption of the financial statements and on granting discharge from liability to the Board members and other accountable persons.
The autumn meeting shall
1. approve the next year's budget
2. approve the action plan;
3. determine the amount of the membership fee for the next calendar year;
4. elect the chairman;
5. elect the members of the Board to replace those in turn to resign;
6. elect the auditor and the deputy auditor and
7. appoint the members representing the national Finnish chapter of AIPPI on its Executive Committee
The meetings shall also discuss those matters which the Board presents or which a member of the Association has proposed to the Board in writing at least a month before the meeting.
11 § Summons of the general meetings
The general meetings of the Association shall be summoned by the Board by letters sent to members at least seven (7) days before the meeting, addressed to their addresses last indicated to the Board.
12 § Amendment of the statutes; dissolution of the Association
A decision concerning the amendment of the statutes of the Association or its dissolution shall be made by the general meeting of the Association by a majority representing at least three fourths (3/4) of the votes cast at the meeting. The summons to the meeting shall mention the amendment of the status or the dissolution.
If the Association is dissolved or abolished, its assets shall be transferred to Suomen teollisoikeudellinen yhdistys r.y. - Finska föreningen för industriellt rättsskydd r.f.