RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/74
10July1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2886)
Original: Spanish Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
COMMUNICATION FROM ECUADOR
Thefollowing communication, dated 30June1997, hasbeenreceived from thePermanent
Mission oftheRepublic ofEcuador.
_______________
Iamwriting toinform youthatIhavereceived instructions from thecompetent authorities
oftheGovernment ofEcuador regarding theWTO accession commitments intheareaofprotection
ofintellectual property rights, andhavebeenasked todrawtheattention oftheMembers oftheCouncil
forTrade-Related Aspects ofIntellectual Property Rights tothefollowing:
1. IncompliancewithEcuador'scommitmenttotheWTOtoapplytheprovisionsoftheAgreement
onTrade-Related Aspects ofIntellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) nolaterthan31July1996
asrecorded inparagraph 78oftheReport oftheWorking Party ontheAccession ofEcuador
(document WT/L/77 of14July1995), theGovernment ofEcuador published theTRIPS
Agreement inOfficial Register No.977of28June1996, andthusdidnotavailitself ofthe
transitional period under Article 65.2.
2. With thepublication oftheTRIPS Agreement intheOfficial Register, Ecuador brought the
saidlegalprovisions intoforce, giving themfulleffect. Consequently, theymaynowbeinvoked
before thecourts ofEcuador.
3. Inorder toensure fullapplication oftheTRIPS Agreement, theEcuadorian Government is
currently preparing forsubmission toCongress alegalreform aimed atsubjecting domestic
legislation totheTRIPS standards forthesakeofclarity anduniformity oftheintellectual
property system inEcuador.
4. Inthisconnection, theMinistry ofForeign Trade, Industrialization andFishery, which is
responsiblefortheDirectorateofIndustrialPropertyofEcuador,incooperationwiththeAndean
Development Corporation (CAF), isbeing advised byaspecialized consultancy firmwitha
viewtoreforming thefollowing legislation:
(i) TheLawonTrademarks;
(ii) theLawonPatents;
(iii) theCopyright Law; and
(iv) thePlant Varieties Regime.
./.IP/C/W/74
Page2
5. Inaddition, theGovernment ofEcuador intends tocreate theInstituto Ecuatoriano dela
Propiedad Intelectual (Ecuadorian Intellectual Property Institute) asanational bodyresponsible
forthespecialized handling ofallmatters relating tointellectual property andforensuring
compliance withtheTRIPS Agreement atthenational level.