Australian returned as head of world intellectual property body

An Australian lawyer and jurist, Francis Gurry, was Thursday renewed for a second term as chief of the UN's influential intellectual property agency based in Switzerland.

The World Intellectual Property Organisation's (WIPO) coordination committee nominated Gurry, 62, by consensus.

It said in a statement he will be confirmed in his new, six-year mandate as director general when the body's general assembly meets May 8-9.

Gurry, who easily saw off rivals from Estonia, Nigeria and Panama, said the intellectual property issues the agency dealt with were "challenging" but also "with great opportunities".

The 186-member WIPO, based in Geneva, handles intellectual property matters and settles disputes involving patents, copyright, trademarks and website domain names.