WORLD TRADE WT/DS86/1
IP/D/10
ORGANIZATION 2June1997
(97-2281)
Original: English
SWEDEN -MEASURES AFFECTING THE ENFORCEMENT OF
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Request forConsultations bytheUnited States
Thefollowing communication, dated 28May1997, fromthePermanent Mission oftheUnited
States tothePermanent Mission ofSweden andtotheDispute Settlement Body, iscirculated in
accordance withArticle 4.4oftheDSU.
________________________
Myauthorities haveinstructed metorequest consultations withtheGovernment ofSweden
pursuant toArticle 4oftheUnderstanding onRules andProcedures Governing theSettlement of
Disputes (DSU) andArticle 64oftheAgreement onTrade-Related Aspects ofIntellectual Property
Rights (TRIPS) (totheextent itincorporates byreference Article XXII oftheGeneral Agreement on
Tariffs andTrade 1994) regarding themaking available ofprovisional measures under Swedish law.
TheTRIPS Agreement obligates allMembers oftheWorld Trade Organization tomake
provisional measures available inthecontext ofcivilproceedings involving intellectual property rights.
Inlight ofSweden 'sstatus asadeveloped country, theTRIPS Agreement applied toit
on1January 1996.
Swedendoesnotappeartomakeavailableprovisionalmeasuresinthecontextofcivilproceedings
involving intellectual property rights. Assuch, Swedish lawwould appear tobeinconsistent inits
obligations under theTRIPS Agreement, including butnotnecessarily limited toTRIPS Agreement
Articles 50,63and65.
Welookforward toreceiving your reply tothepresent request andtofixing amutually
convenient dateforconsultations.