WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/ST/55
18May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-2065)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Second Session
Geneva, 18and20May1998
WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION
Statement Circulated byDr.Kamil Idris,
Director-General
(AsAnObserver)
TheWorld Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents itscomplements toall
distinguished participants taking partintheSecond Ministerial Meeting oftheWorld Trade Organization
(WTO).
Inkeeping withthemandate given toitintheconvention Establishing theWorld Intellectual
Property Organization, signed on14July1967, andwhich came intoforce in1970, WIPO has,and
shallcontinue, towork diligently toenhance theprotection ofintellectual property rights, onanational,
regional andglobal basis. WIPO currently has169Member States, andaccordingly, there areWIPO
activities orprogrammes taking place in,orinvolving, eachandevery oneofitsMember States.
On1January 1996, theAgreement between theWorld Intellectual Property Organization and
theWorld Trade Organization came intoforce. Since thatdate,WIPO hasplaced ahighpriority on
theaimsandobjectives outlined intheAgreement, including maintaining andmaking accessible the
WIPO collection oflawsandregulations, including within theframework ofnotifications toWTO;
theimplementation ofArticle 6teroftheParis Convention forthepurposes oftheTRIPS Agreement;
andtheprovision oflegal-technical assistance, andtechnical cooperation, forthebenefit ofbothWIPO
Member States andWTO Members which aredeveloping countries. WIPO frequently requests
professionals from theWTO Secretariat tospeak atWIPO seminars andevents, andappreciates the
facttheWTO willing offers itscooperation inthese endeavours. WIPO reciprocates thatsame
professional courtesy whenever WTO requests anyresources orassistance. Implementation ofthe
obligations contained intheTRIPS Agreement isanissuewhich WIPO includes inallofitsseminars,
trainings, andespecially initscooperation fordevelopment activities.
WIPO enjoys Observer Status intheGeneral Council andtheCouncil forTRIPS. Recently,
WIPO hasbeengranted Observer Status intheCommittee onTrade andEnvironment, andincertain
Working Parties onAccession. Through those various fora, WIPO seeks tocomprehend newways
toserveitsvariousconstituencies,waystoimproveexistingservicesandfacilities,andwaystostrengthen
andenhance thegrowing relationship between WIPO andWTO.
SeveralinitiativesandactivitiesinWIPOarerelevanttotheworkofthedistinguishedparticipants
inthisMinisterial Meeting, including thefollowing:
TheWIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) andtheWIPO Performances andPhonograms Treaty
(WPPT), adopted attheWIPO Diplomatic Convention onCertain Copyright andNeighbouring Rights
Questions heldfrom2to20December 1996, received 51and50signatures, respectively, during theWT/MIN(98)/ST/55
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period inwhich theTreaties were openforsignature. TheWCT hasbeenratified bytwoMember
States, andtheWPPT hasbeenratified byone.Many Member States haveinformed WIPO thatthere
hasbeengoodprogress toeffect ratification, andthereby bring theseTreaties intoforce. TheTreaties
willclarify howexisting international norms oncopyright andrelated rights should beapplied inthe
digital environment, particularly inglobal networks suchastheInternet, and,where needed, adapt
those norms tothedigital environment. Bythis,theycreate thenecessary basis forglobal electronic
commerce ofintellectual creations protected bycopyright andrelated rights.
Alsointhecopyright andrelated rights field, work onaProtocol ontheprotection oftherights
ofperformers inaudiovisual fixations isinanadvanced stage, andaDiplomatic Conference isforeseen
for1999. Work onasuigeneris protection system fordatabases continues, andwork ontheprotection
oftherights ofbroadcasters willstartthisyear. WIPO willdevote itsfullattention toeachofthe
foregoing initiatives.
TheWIPO Arbitration andMediation Center (theCenter) provides independent, neutral and
cost-effective services forresolving intellectual property disputes among private parties. With the
expansion ofelectronic commerce ontheInternet, parties maysoonprefer tosettle disputes arising
from suchcommerce inthesame manner asthecommerce isconducted. TheCenter hasdeveloped
anon-line, Internet-based facility foradministering commercial disputes involving intellectual property.
Itisexpected thatthismechanism willincrease speed intheprocedures while reducing costs. Much
ofthiswork wasinitiated asaresult oftheadvice onintellectual property anddispute-resolution issues
provided byWIPO totheInternational AdHoccommittee (IAHC) andthePolicy Oversight Committee
(POC) inrelation tothe"Memorandum ofUnderstanding ontheGeneric Top-Level Domain Name
Space oftheInternet Domain Name System" (gTLD-MoU). TheCenter hasbeen designated to
administer on-line mediation, expedited arbitration andanAdministrative Domain Name Challenge
Panel procedure forregistrations inthissystem. Thus, initially, theCenter 'son-line system ismade
available fordisputes involving Internet domain names, where animmediate needisexpected andwhere
certain assumptions canbemade about thetechnical sophistication oftheparties. During thesecond
halfof1998, thefacility willbemade generally available forother Internet-related disputes. This
work oftheCenter should serve toreduce friction andresolve disputes onandconcerning theInternet,
andthereby facilitate theglobalization ofInternet usage andaccessibility, andtheproliferation of
electronic commerce.
Pursuant tothenewly adopted Programme andBudget forthe1998-99 biennium, WIPO has
received anenhanced mandate concerning itscooperation fordevelopment activities, andincreased
resourceshavebeenallocatedforthemodernizationofnationalintellectualpropertysystemsindeveloping
countries, including through, inter alia, nationally-focused programmes providing assistance for
implementation oftheTRIPS Agreement. On1January 2000, many developing countries, asMembers
ofWTO, arerequired tobring theirnational legislative andadministrative structures intoconformance
withtheTRIPS Agreement. Anunprecedented effort isthusrequired onthepartofWIPO toprovide
thenecessary technical assistance tothecountries concerned. Therevision, orasrequired, drafting,
ofnational legislation willbeattheforefront ofWIPO 'sefforts inthisarea,aswellasthestrengthening
ofinfrastructures, institution building, anddevelopment ofhuman resources. Aconcerted setofactions
willalsobeundertaken byWIPO toenhance skills andcooperation inrespect ofenforcement of
intellectual property rights, when thisaccords withthespecific national priorities.
TheWIPO Standing Committee ontheLawofPatents will,inJune1998, bethefirstofthe
newly-formatted Standing Committees within WIPO toholdsession. Thisfirstmeeting willexamine
thedraftPatent LawTreaty (PLT). With oneofitsobjectives being toaddress theincreasing pace
ofnewIndustrial Property issues, theStanding Committee willseektofinalize thiscurrent PLTdraft,WT/MIN(98)/ST/55
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andwilllikely propose aDiplomatic Conference inthenearfuture. Itwillalsodealwithother timely
andvitalIndustrial Property issues, suchas:central recording ofchanges inpatents andpatent
applications, andthedisclosure oftechnical information ontheInternet anditsimpact onpatentability,
soastoascertain thefeasibility ofharmonizing rules concerning patent-law implications ofInternet
disclosure ofpatent information, andwhether suchexposure creates anyimpact onpatentability.
Oneofthemost important initiatives currently inprogress atWIPO isthecreation and
deployment oftheWIPO Global Information Network. ThisNetwork willaddress theneeds ofMember
States withfastandcost-effective communications, materials andservices related tointellectual property
rights, administration andenforcement, worldwide. Itwillbedesigned toconnect approximately
300intellectual property offices andadministrations globally toWIPO, andtoeachother. The
availability andconvenience ofinformation, Intellectual Property Digital Libraries, distance learning
opportunities,WIPOservices,andotherbenefitswillbeofparticularimportancetodevelopingcountries,
countries intransition, andleast-developed countries, aswellastoallgovernmental personnel and
otherprofessionalsinvolvedinintellectualproperty.Throughthisproject,WIPOwillprovideintellectual
property offices withtechnical assistance infurtherance ofthedevelopment oftheir information
infrastructure andoffice automation, thereby, among other benefits, facilitating thestreamlining and
modernization oftheadministrative work connected withimplementation oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Preparations arebeing made foraDiplomatic Conference ontheHague Agreement forthe
International Deposit ofIndustrial Designs. SuchaConference would mostlikely takeplace in1999,
andpreparations focus onthepotential adoption ofanewacttoexpand itsgeographical scope, and
alsotomake theHague system simpler, cheaper touseandgenerally more responsive tocreators of
designs andindustry ingeneral.
TheWIPOStandingCommitteeontheLawofTrademarks,IndustrialDesignsandGeographical
Indications will,inJuly1998, examine aspects ofwell-known marks andtrademark licences, and
trademark issues related totheInternet, toInternational Non-proprietary Names forPharmaceutical
Substances, andtoGeographical Indications. Asregards well-known marks, theStanding Committee
willdiscuss arevised setofprovisions aimed atimproved international protection ofwell-known marks
anddealing withtheir definition andconditions ofprotection, andavailable remedies incases of
infringement. Inrespect oftrademark licences, theStanding Committee willconsider asetofdraft
Articles aimed attheharmonization andsimplification ofadministrative procedures relating tothe
recordation oftrademark licences. Theproposal todealwith theprotection ofInternational
Non-proprietary Names forPharmaceutical Substances against registration oruseastrademarks within
theframework oftheStanding Committee originated inconsultations between theWorld Health
Organization (WHO) andWIPO onthatissue. Work ontheprotection ofGeographical Indications
willbeundertaken withaviewtoward gaining aclearer practical understanding ofthedesirability and
feasibility ofestablishing guiding principles onthatissue.
TheProgramme andBudget ofWIPO forthe1998-1999 biennium established newprogrammes
toexplore, research andmake recommendations onvarious challenges facing theintellectual property
system inarapidly changing world. These challenges include: accelerating technological advancement;
theintegrationoftheworld'seconomic,cultural,andinformationsystems;and,theexpandingrelevance
ofintellectual property issues indebates ontrade, health, culture, investment, human rights andthe
environment. Forexample, theGlobal Intellectual Property Issues Division willhaveaninitial focus
onmatters suchastheintellectual property needs oftheholders oftraditional knowledge, innovations,
culture andgenetic resources, suchasinagriculture andmedicine; theroleofintellectual property
rights inthepreservation, conservation anddissemination ofglobal biological diversity; theintellectual
property aspects ofbiotechnology; theuseofintellectual property rights inthetransfer oftechnologyWT/MIN(98)/ST/55
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under multilateral environmental agreements; and,theneedforandpossible nature andscope ofnew
oradapted forms ofprotection for"expressions offolklore".
TheWIPO Worldwide Academy (WWA) hasbeencreated andhasgiven anentirely new
significance inthese current times inwhich human resource development isofparamount importance.
TheWWA willbeWIPO 'scentral mechanism fortraining anddevelopmental activities relative to
government managers, policy advisors, administrators andothers needing ordeserving intellectual
property training. Amulti-faceted approach willbeusedintheWWA, which includes, among other
elements, interregional training courses, fellowships andinternships; different forafocusing ondifferent
aspects ofintellectual property; conferences; andadistance learning centre. WIPO believes that
theenhanced benefits andexpanded services produced through theWIPO Worldwide Academy will
beacrucial factor inthefuture ofintellectual property.
ThePatent Cooperation Treats (PCT) continues toexpand itsuserbase, aswellasthenumber
ofContracting Parties thereto. Thecurrent programme ofup-grading automation andcomputerization
inPCToperations, which willmodernize literally every aspect ofthisdepartment, willmake thissystem
evenmore attractive anduserfriendly toindustry andtheworldwide patent community, andaswell,
isintended tomake thissystem more accessible andmore beneficial fordeveloping andleast-developed
countries, andcountries intransition.
WIPO isappreciative ofthemutually beneficial relationship which itshares withtheWTO,
andlooks forward toenhancing andstrengthening thatrelationship.
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