 WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  IP/C/W/426/Add.1 
8 September 2004  
 
(04-3748) 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights Original:   English 
 
 
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES: 
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS 
 
JAPAN 
 
Addendum  
  
 The following communication, dated 30 August 2004,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Japan. 
 
_______________ 
 
 
I. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL 
PROPERTY RIGHTS 
1. Voluntary contributions for WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan 
 Since 1987, the Government of Japan (GOJ) has been providing voluntary contributions in 
the field of industrial property to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).  The "WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" (FIT/JP) in the field of i ndustrial property was established with these voluntary 
funds and is used annually to finance various pr ojects for WIPO member States in the Economic and 
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP),  such as the holding of IP office conferences or 
symposia, acceptance of trainees and IPR research st udents, dispatch of Japan Patent Office (JPO) 
officials and support for the automation and modernization of IP offices.  The voluntary fund for Japanese fiscal year (FY) 2004 amounts to ¥178.21 million.  
2. Human Resources Development 
(a) Training Programme 
 In order to support developing countries obligat ed to implement the TRIPS Agreement, Japan 
has been receiving trainees.  Between April 1996 and March 2004, Japan received 1,854 trainees in 
both the public and private sectors from primarily 42 countries and one economy in the Asia-Pacific 
region.  In the future, with the goal of the effi cient implementation of laws in mind, Japan is 
scheduled to proceed with human resource development activities emphasizing the area of 
enforcement of intellectual property rights.   (i) Training programmes for government officials  
 The JPO has been holding group training courses about industrial property rights for 
government officials.  In FY 2003, the following six group training courses were held:  IP/C/W/426/Add.1 
Page 2  
 
 For APEC member economies 
 
 - "Group Training Course in Intellectual Property for APEC Economies" is a one-
month course for administrative official s working in areas related to IPR and 
examiners of IPR.  Trainees are divided into three groups according to their 
specialities: administration, patents, and trademarks. 
  - "Training Course in Intellectual Property fo r Thai Judges" is a three-week course for 
judges engaged mainly in intellectual property civil suits in Thailand. 
 
  These training courses are implemented by the Japan International Cooperation 
Agency (JICA) in cooperation with the JPO a nd the Asia-Pacific Indus trial Property Center 
(APIC) of the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (JIII). 
 
 For the ESCAP region 
 
 - "Training Course on the Enforcement of IPR under WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a 
two-week course for senior officials e ngaged in the enforcement of IPR in 
enforcement-related government agencies. 
  - "Training Course on the Use of Information Technology in IP Administration under 
WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a two-week c ourse for senior officials of IP offices 
responsible for information technology matters. 
  - "Training Course on the Examination Prac tices of Industrial Property under WIPO 
Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a three-week cour se for examiners in the field of IPR.  
Trainees are divided into three groups ac cording to their sp ecialities: patents, 
industrial designs, and trademarks. 
  - "Training Course on Industrial Property Administration under WIPO 
Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a two-week course fo r senior officials in IP offices in charge 
of general administration and policy planning. 
 
  These four training courses are managed by the JPO and organized by WIPO in 
cooperation with the APIC of JIII. 
  (ii) Training programmes for the private sectors 
 
 The JPO has also been holding the followi ng group training courses on industrial property 
rights for trainees from the private sectors:  
 For APEC member economies 
  - "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Executives" 
   Trainees of this two-week course include executives of private sectors, IP managers 
and IP advisers. 
 
 - "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Advanced IP Practitioners" 
 
  Trainees of this three-week course are IP practitioners in private sectors, research 
institutes, patent attorneys and/or IP lawyer s, and executive officers with leading roles 
in IP promotional organizations. 
  IP/C/W/426/Add.1 
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 - "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Lawyers"  
  Trainees of this three-week course include  patent attorneys and/or IP lawyers, and 
law school professors. 
 
 - "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Trainers" 
 
  Trainees of this three-week course are  university professors and those engaged in the 
promotion of the IPR system in non-governmental organizations through lectures. 
 
 - "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Patent Experts" 
 
  Trainees of this three-week course include patent practitioners in private sectors or 
institutes, patent attorneys and/or IP lawyer s, and executive officers with leading roles 
in IP promotional organizations. 
 
 - "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Chinese Executives"  
  Trainees of this two-week course are  executives of private sectors, IP managers, and 
IP advisers in China. 
 
 For non-APEC economies 
 
 - "Training Programme on Industrial Property Management"    The trainees include individuals in midd le and senior management positions or their 
equivalent in private sectors, law firm s, research institutes and educational 
organizations.  The course is for two weeks. 
  These training courses are conducted by the APIC of JIII with the assistance of the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS).  
(b) Long-term fellowship 
 Under the long-term fellowship project funded by WIPO FIT/JP in FY 2003, two trainees, 
one from Bangladesh and one from Indonesia, were i nvited to Japan to study intellectual property 
issues for a period of six months.  In FY 2003, th e JPO accepted one long-term trainee from China for 
about six months under an independent project. 
 
(c) Seminar on Intellectual Property Rights for Alumni Association Members 
  The JPO suggests to the trainees that an alumni  association be established to help disseminate 
information on IP systems in their home countri es and to keep the members of the association 
informed of current IP developments.  The JP O will conduct a follow-up seminar in various Asian 
countries for those who have completed a training pr ogramme in order to sustain the fruits of the 
training programmes and contribute to  human resources development.  
  When the JPO receives a request from an alumni  association to assist them in conducting an 
IP seminar, we provide them with the following t ypes of assistance: financial assistance to meet the 
cost of holding the seminar, and the disp atching of Japanese speak ers to the event.  
  In FY 2003, Alumni Association Seminars were  held in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and 
Viet Nam.  IP/C/W/426/Add.1 
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(d) Seminar on Intellectual Property Rights for IP-Enforcement Staff Members 
 The JPO has been holding enforcement semi nars as a training programme for developing 
countries.  The enforcement seminar in China was aimed at developing human resources engaged in 
IPR enforcement and supporting relevant enlightenment and dissemination of IPR systems in China.  The seminar programme included basic lectures on IPRs, the importance of protecting IPRs, and 
information exchange. 
  In FY 2003, the seminar was held in China in March 2003.  (e) Expert missions 
 Experts and seminar instructors specializing in  various areas of IPRs are dispatched by the 
JPO through WIPO FIT/JP and JICA mainly for peri ods of about two weeks.  The dispatched experts 
mainly provide on-site in struction regarding examination practices, computerization and so forth. 
  JICA also dispatches JPO officials as long-term experts in order to engage in JICA technical 
cooperation projects being implemented in the IP office of the respective recipient countries and as 
individual experts on industrial property right administration.   In FY 2003, three experts were dispatched  under the WIPO scheme and 6 under the JICA 
scheme (long-term: five persons  /short-term: one person). 
 
(f) Symposia 
 Major symposia, etc., in FY 2003 funded by the WIPO FIT/JP are as shown below: 
 
Title Venue/Date Theme Participants 
WIPO Asia and the 
Pacific Regional Training Course  Republic of 
Korea 
September 2003 The support of 
Teaching/Training for Intellectual Property Trainers and Instructors 29 participants from 22 
Asia and the Pacific region and local participants 
WIPO Asian Sub-Regional Workshop Indonesia 
October 2003 The Benefits of Madrid 
and Hague Systems for Developing Countries 22 participants from 11 
Asia and the Pacific countries and local participants 
WIPO Asia and the Pacific Regional 
Symposium India 
November 2003 The Protection of the 
Geographical 
Indications 34 participants from 20 
Asia and the Pacific 
countries and local 
participants 
WIPO Asia and the Pacific Regional 
Workshop Thailand 
March 2004 The Economic Benefits 
of Protection of 
Trademarks, including 
Brand Names ,and the Role of International Protection Systems 38 participants from 22 
Asia and the Pacific 
countries and local 
participants 
WIPO National  Workshop Viet Nam 
July 2004 The Enforcement of 
Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) 36 participants from 21 
Asia and the Pacific countries and local participants.  
  IP/C/W/426/Add.1 
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3. Computerization and Information Processing 
(a) Modernization of Industrial Property Administration Project in the Philippines 
  The JPO carried out technology transfer and human resource development for modernization 
of industrial property right administrative proce dures of the IP Office of the Philippines from May 
1999 to May 2003, through establishing the database, th e system applicable to the old law, PCT and 
patent administrative procedure.   (b) Modernization of Industrial Property Administration Project in Viet Nam 
 The JPO carried out the "Modernization of Industrial Property Administration Project in 
Viet Nam", a four-year project for the modernizat ion of administrative procedure at the National 
Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam from Ap ril 2000 to June 2004.  This project was aimed at 
developing human resources through the automation of administrative work.  
 (c) Industrial Property Rights Information Center (IPIC) Project in Thailand 
 The JPO cooperation with JICA helped to estab lish the Industrial Property Information Center 
(IPIC) in the Department of Intellectual Property of  Thailand in 1995.  The JPO helped establish an 
industrial property right automation system and provided assistance, until June 2000, to provide and 
promote industrial property right information to users.  (d) Support for Utilisation of Information Tec hnology through JICA Development Studies in 
Malaysia 
  The JPO also carries out development studi es in cooperation with JICA, such as that 
regarding construction of an industrial design syst em for the Intellectual Property Corporation of 
Malaysia. 
 
(e) Provision of the "Patent Abstracts of Japan (PAJ)" on CD-ROM   Since 1995, the JPO has been providing about 85 national offices and other organizations all 
over the world with the PAJ, which is a collectio n of abstracts of Japanese patent applications 
translated into English, on CD-ROM. 
 
(f) Project to Publish (in English and Japanese) th e Industrial Property Laws and Regulations in 
Effect in Various Countries.   In order to assist IP offices in developing countries in which domestic laws on intellectual 
property rights are being established, the JPO has been  engaged in the "Project to Assist in Gathering 
Information Related to Overseas Industrial Propert y Right Systems".  Under this programme, laws 
and regulations related to the industrial property rights of major developed and developing countries 
are translated into English, if necessary, and from 1997 to 2003, they were published as CD-ROMs 
equipped with searchable indexes.   
 As of 2004, the JPO has posted the laws and regulations of various countries and regions on 
the website of the JPO.    IP/C/W/426/Add.1 
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4. Assistance in Search and Examination 
WIPO/State-of-the-Art-Searches for Developing Countries 
 The JPO provides search reports for which prio r art search was requested by IP offices or 
research institutes of developing countries th rough the WIPO International Bureau (IB). 
 
 The JPO created search reports on approximate ly 100 applications per year from FY 1998 and 
sent them to requesting developing countries through the WIPO/IB.  
  
II. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF COPYRIGHT 
 The Japan Copyright Office (JCO) has b een planning and carrying out the following 
programme with a view to contributing to the development of copyright systems in developing countries as well as to strengthening regional cooperation among Asia-Pacific countries.  
1. APACE Programme 
 This programme, which is called "APACE (A sia-Pacific Copyright Systems Enhancement) 
Programme", was started in 1993 in cooperation with  WIPO, targeting Asia-Pacific countries.  The 
APACE Programme consists of the following six activities:  (a) Annual Regional Symposium (since 1993) 
Year Venue Participants 
2001 Guangzhou, China 160 participants from 24 countries 
2001 Mumbai, India 80 participants from 18 countries 
2003 Jakarta, Indonesia 120 participants from 23 countries 
 
(b) Training Programme in Tokyo, Japan (since 1994) 
Year Participants 
2000 14 trainees from Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indi a, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, 
Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vanuatu and Viet Nam 
2001 17 trainees from China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, the 
Philippines, Samoa and Thailand 
2002 10 trainees from Brunei Darussalam, China, Fiji, Lao People's Democratic Republic, 
Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2003 12 trainees from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao People's 
Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, th e Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and 
Viet Nam  
 (c) Sub-Regional Seminar (since 1995) 
Year Venue Participants 
2000 Apia, Samoa 50 participants from 13 countries 
 
(d) Experts Missions (since 1999) 
 This programme was started in 1999, in order to assist the countries in developing and 
strengthening infrastructure for the protection and management of copyright and neighbouring rights. 
  IP/C/W/426/Add.1 
 Page 7 
 
 
Year Venue 
2000 Samoa and Sri Lanka 
2001 Mongolia 
2002 Fiji 
2003 Indonesia, Mongolia and Viet Nam 
 
(e) Training on Collective Management 
 This programme was started in 2000, which is  on-the-job training for staffs of collective 
management organizations or governme nt officials in developing countries. 
 
Year Country 
2000 Philippines 
2001 Indonesia and Mongolia 
2002 Bhutan, China, Fiji, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam 
2003 Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic 
Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Viet Nam, and Myanmar 
 (f) National Seminar on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights 
 This programme was started in 2000, in orde r to promote awareness of the protection of 
copyright and neighbouring rights and the role it can  play in cultural and economic development of 
developing countries. 
 
Year Venue 
2000 Nepal, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Indonesia 
2001 Mongolia 
2002 Fiji 
2003 Mongolia and Nepal 
 
2. Asian Copyright Experts Invitation Programme 
 This programme was started in 1996 to invite each  year a high official in charge of copyright 
from governments of Asian countries.  Lecture and discussion meetings are organized, inviting 
Japanese experts, to share information and learn fro m each other.  The guests have been invited from 
the following countries.  
Year Country 
2000 China 
2002 China 
2003 China 
 
3. Asia-Pacific Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Seminar 
 This programme was started in 1997, to provide participating copyright experts of 
Asia-Pacific countries with opportunities to ex change information and viewpoints as well as to 
discuss possible regional common positions and/or actions in the future. It was organized in 
cooperation with APEC in 2001.  IP/C/W/426/Add.1 
Page 8  
 
Year Venue Participants 
2000 Tokyo, Japan 100 participants from 25 countries and 3 NGOs 
2001 Tokyo, Japan 110 participants from 20 countries (APEC members) 
2002 Tokyo, Japan 90 participants from 26 countries and 3 NGOs 
2003 Tokyo, Japan 90 participants from 13 countries (ASEAN + 3 members) 
2004 Tokyo, Japan 90 participants from 12 countries (ASEAN + 3 members) 
 
4. JICA Group Training Course 
 This JICA training course started in 1999 in cooperation with JCO, to contribute to the 
copyright systems development.  
Year Participants 
2000 7 trainees from Colombia, Kenya, Moldova, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Saudi Arabia 
and Solomon Islands 
2001 7 trainees from Ghana, Kenya, Panama, Pa pua New Guinea, Peru, Saudi Arabia and 
Vanuatu 
2002 7 trainees from Cambodia, China, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Saudi Arabia and Viet Nam 
2003 6 trainees from Bhutan, Fiji, Indonesia, Myanmar, Panama and Zambia 
2004 7 trainees from China, Fiji, Ghana, Malaysia, Panama, Thailand and Zambia 
 
 
III. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF PLANT 
VARIETY PROTECTION 
 Through the UPOV Trust Fund of Japan, the GOJ has supported a programme which provides 
Asian countries with seminars and workshops  on plant variety protection systems. 
  The seminars have been held since FY 1991 fo r the purpose of contributing to the promotion 
and establishment of the plant variety protection sy stems.   And the workshop scheme has been held 
since Japanese FY 1996, in order to provide some  practical knowledge and te chnique relating to the 
plant variety protection.  In addition, the regional technical meeting for Asian plant variety protection 
system has been set up since Japanese FY 2000 in order to discuss regional technical issues and to 
promote regional cooperation in variety testing.   Details of the seminars and the worksh ops which have been held are as follows: 
 
Regional Seminars
 
 
Year Venue Participants 
2004 Iran (It is scheduled to hold a regional seminar) 
 
National Seminars  
 
Year Venue 
2000 Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia 
2001 India 
2002 Viet Nam and Cambodia 
2003 Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapor e and Lao People's Democratic Republic 
2004 China (and it is scheduled to hold a seminar at Malaysia)  IP/C/W/426/Add.1 
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Workshops  
 
Year Venue Participants 
2000 Japan 10 participants from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, 
Republic of Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2001 China 18 participants from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the 
Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Republic of Korea, and Viet Nam 
2002 Republic of 
Korea 19 participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic  Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, 
Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2003 Philippines 17 participants from Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democra tic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, 
Myanmar, Nepal, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and 
Viet Nam 
2004 Viet Nam 22 participants from Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democra tic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, 
Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri 
Lanka and Thailand  
 
Regional Technical Meeting  
 
Year Venue Participants 
2000 Japan 10 participants from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, 
Republic of Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2001 China 18 participants from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the 
Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Republic of Korea, and Viet Nam 
2002 Republic of 
Korea 19 participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic  Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, 
Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2003 Philippines 17 participants from Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democra tic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, 
Myanmar, Nepal, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and 
Viet Nam 
2004 Viet Nam 22 participants from Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democra tic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, 
Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand 
  
1. JICA Group Training Course 
 This JICA training course was started in 2000 in cooperation with NCSS (National Center for 
Seed and Seedling) to contribute to the establis hment of  breeder's rights protection systems. IP/C/W/426/Add.1 
Page 10  
 
 
Year Participants 
2000 10 trainees from Bolivia, Brazil, China, Co sta Rica, India, Indonesia, Kenya,  
the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2001 
 10 trainees from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Indonesia,  Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines (2), 
Thailand, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe 
2002 10 trainees from Bolivia, China, India, I ndonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, the 
Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam  
2003 10 trainees from Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, 
the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2004 11 trainees from Argentine, Bangladesh, Boliv ia, China, Kenya, Malaysia (2), the 
Philippines, Mauritius, Thailand and Viet Nam 
  
IV. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF BORDER 
MEASURE 
 Since FY 1996, the Ministry of Finance of th e GOJ has provided a training course in the field 
of border measures for the enforcement of intellect ual property rights.  The main purpose of this 
programme is to assist in the smooth implementation of the TRIPS Agreement by customs officials in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region. De tails of the training courses since FY 2000 are as 
follows. 
 
Year Venue Participants 
2000 Japan 8 participants from Viet Nam and China. 
2001 Japan 10 participants from Lao Peopl e's Democratic Republic, Cambodia, 
Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. 
2002 Japan 10 participants from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao People's 
Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanma r, the Philippines and Viet Nam. 
2003 Japan 18 participants from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao People's 
Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Pa pua New Guinea, the Philippines, 
Thailand and Viet Nam. 
  
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