RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/57
27March 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1276)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION INTHE FIELDS OFPATENTS, LAYOUT-DESIGNS
(TOPOGRAPHIES) OFINTEGRATED CIRCUITS, PROTECTION OF
UNDISCLOSED INFORMATION AND CONTROL OF
ANTI-COMPETITIVE PRACTICES IN
CONTRACTUAL LICENCES
Questions Posed byNewZealand
Bymeans ofacommunication from thePermanent Mission ofNew Zealand dated
21March1997,theSecretariathasreceivedthefollowingquestionsthatNewZealandhadcommunicated
totheEuropean Communities andtheUnited States.
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United States 2
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EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Patents
1. Please advise whether Article 45oftheAgreement onCommunity Patents would apply ifthe
patent lawofasignatory wasinconsistent withArticle 31oftheTRIPS Agreement?
2. Please explain howArticles 46and77oftheAgreement onCommunity Patents areconsistent
withArticle 31oftheTRIPS Agreement?
3. Interms ofArticle 83oftheAgreement onCommunity Patents, please advise which, ifany:
(a) signatories havemade reservations; and
(b) ifreservations havebeenmade, whether these havebeenremoved?
UNITED STATES
Patents
1. Please explain thescope oftheprotest procedure provided forin37CFR 1.291, inparticular
whether itcanresult inanotherwise valid application being refused grant?
2. UnderUnitedStateslaw,whatexceptionsexistinrespecttopatentees'exclusiverights(Article30
oftheTRIPS Agreement refers)?
3. Please confirm whether inanapplication foraprocess patent, claims drafted intheform of
"theuseofXtodoY"(forexample, theuseofaspirin totreatheadaches) areallowable consistent
withArticles 27and29oftheTRIPS Agreement?