RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/48
7November 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4728)
Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
NOTIFICATIONS OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS RELATING TOARTICLES 3,4AND 5
OFTHE TRIPS AGREEMENT
Note bytheSecretariat
1. Atitsmeetings ofMay, JulyandSeptember 1996, theCouncil forTRIPS considered whether
there were anytechnical difficulties withmeeting therequirement tonotify lawsandregulations
corresponding totheprovisions ofArticles 3,4and5oftheAgreement onnational andMFN treatment.
AttheSeptember meeting, theCouncil concluded thatthismatter should beapproached onthebasis
ofarange ofoptions between which Members could choose inmaking theirnotifications. Inrespect
ofoneofthese options, namely making ageneral statement thatnationals ofother WTO Members
enjoy national andMFN treatment andlisting anyexceptions tothatprinciple, itwasfurther agreed
thattheSecretariat should prepare adraftformat. Thiswould beintended asapractical aidtoassist
Members inusing thatoption inorder tomeettheirnotification obligations under Article 63.2relating
toArticles 3,4and5.Such adraftformat isannexed.
Background
2. According toparagraph 2.1oftheDecision oftheCouncil forTRIPS of21November 1995
concerning theprocedures forthenotification oflawsandregulations under Article 63.2, "asofthe
timethataMember isobliged tostartapplying aprovision oftheTRIPS Agreement, thecorresponding
lawsandregulations shallbenotified without delay (normally within 30daysexcept where otherwise
provided bytheTRIPS Council)". AllMembers oftheWTO haveobligations under Articles 3,4
and5oftheTRIPS Agreement asof1January 1996; Articles 65and66donotallow Members to
delay theapplication ofthese provisions untilalaterdate. Consequently, allMembers arealready
under anobligation tonotify legislation corresponding toArticles 3,4and5.
3. ForMembers which arerequired tocomply withallobligations under theAgreement asof
1January 1996, thenotification requirement under Article 63.2relating tolawsandregulations
implementing theobligations under Articles 3,4and5overlaps withtherequirement tonotify allTRIPS
implementing legislation asofthatdate. Thesituation isdifferent forMembers which areentitled
toatransitional period withrespect toother obligations which extends beyond 1January 1996. These
Members arerequired, asof1January 1996, tonotify suchprovisions oftheirintellectual property
lawsandregulations asarespecifically relevant inrelation toArticles 3,4and5,butarenotobliged
tonotify yettheirintellectual property legislation ingeneral. However, virtually noneoftheseMembers
havemade notifications specifically oftheprovisions oftheirlawsandregulations which correspond
tothese Articles oftheTRIPS Agreement.
4. Accordingly,theCouncilhasconsideredwhethertheremaybetechnicaldifficultieswithmeeting
thisnotification requirement. Inthisconnection, theUnited States putforward aproposal
(document IP/C/W/31) which wasconsidered attheSeptember meeting oftheCouncil. Atthatmeeting,
threeoptions, inparticular, wereidentified forhowMembers notyetobliged tonotify alltheirlegislationIP/C/W/48
Page2
could meettherequirement tonotify lawsandregulations corresponding toArticles 3,4and5ofthe
Agreement:
- notifying thespecific provisions oflawsandregulations thatimplement theobligations
setoutinArticles 3,4and5;
- notifying allintellectual property lawsandregulations; or
- making ageneral statement that nationals ofother WTO Members enjoy
non-discriminatory treatment, together withalistofanyexceptions tothatprinciple.
5. Whileithasbeenrecognizedthatthesecondoptionisavailabletodelegations,ithasbeenpointed
outthatuseofitmight bedisproportionately burdensome bothonthenotifying country andonthe
Secretariat andnotparticularly helpful tootherMembers oftheCouncil inunderstanding theapplication
ofthenational treatment andMFN provisions. Inregard tothefirstoption, ithasbeenrecognized
thatcomplying withthisoption maycause difficulties incountries which donothavespecific provisions
intheirlegislation relating tonational treatment and/or MFN treatment. Accordingly, thethirdoption
hasbeenidentified.
6. TheCouncil feltthatneither thefirstnorthesecond options called foranyspecific procedural
guidelines. Such notifications would needtofollow theprocedures forthenotification oflawsand
regulations under Article 63.2already adopted, which canbefound indocument IP/C/2.
7. Asregards thethirdoption, theSecretariat hasbeenasked toprepare apossible format, which
would beintended tobeapractical aidtoassist Members inmeeting theirnotification obligations under
Article 63.2relating toArticles 3,4and5.Such adraftformat isannexed.IP/C/W/48
Page3
ANNEX
NOTIFICATIONS OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS RELATING TOARTICLES 3,4AND 5
OFTHE TRIPS AGREEMENT: FORMAT FOR ONE OPTION
Draft
TheCouncil forTRIPS hasrecognized thatMembers notyetunder anobligation tonotify
alltheirlawsandregulations pertaining tothesubject matter oftheTRIPS Agreement haveanumber
ofoptions formeeting theirobligation tonotify thoselawsandregulations thatcorrespond tothenational
treatment andMFN obligations ofArticles 3,4and5oftheAgreement. Three options inparticular
havebeenidentified:
- notifying thespecific provisions oflawsandregulations thatimplement theobligations
setoutinArticles 3,4and5;
- notifying allintellectual property lawsandregulations; or
- making ageneral statement that nationals ofother WTO Members enjoy
non-discriminatory treatment, together withalistofanyexceptions tothatprinciple.
Inrespect ofthelastofthese options, thefollowing format hasbeendeveloped asapractical
aidtoassist Members.
*****
1. National Treatment
(a) Basic statement
Please confirm that,subject toanyexceptions specified under (b)below, yourcountry accords
tothenationals ofallother Members oftheWTO, asdefined inArticle 1.3oftheTRIPS Agreement,
treatment nolessfavourable thanyourcountry accords toitsownnationals withregard totheprotection1
ofintellectual property.
Confirmation :...
Dotheintellectual property lawsandregulations ofyourcountry contain specific provisions
regarding thebasic grant ofnational treatment toforeign nationals?
Yes/No :...
Iftheresponse isyes,please attach, totheextent possible, copies oftherelevant provisions.
1IntheTRIPS Agreement, theword "protection" isdefined, forthepurposes ofArticles 3and4,toinclude matters
affecting theavailability, acquisition, scope, maintenance andenforcement ofintellectual property rights, aswellasthose
matters affecting theuseofintellectual property rights specifically addressed intheTRIPS Agreement.IP/C/W/48
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(b) Exceptions
Theexceptions referred toabove arecontained inthefollowing provisions ofmycountry 's
lawsandregulations. Copies oftherelevant provisions areattached tothisnotification inaWTO
language (together withcopies inanational language, where thatisnotaWTO language).
LaworRegulation Relevant Provision
... ...
... ...
2. Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment
(a) Basic statement
Please confirm that,subject toanyexceptions specified under (b)below, yourcountry accords,
immediately andunconditionally, tothenationals ofallother Members oftheWTO, asdefined in
Article 1.3oftheTRIPS Agreement, anyadvantage, favour, privilege orimmunity granted byyour
country tothenationals ofanyother country withregard totheprotection2ofintellectual property.
Confirmation :...
Dotheintellectual property lawsandregulations ofyourcountry contain specific provisions
regarding thebasic grant ofmost-favoured-nation treatment toforeign nationals?
Yes/No :...
Iftheresponse isyes,please attach, totheextent possible, copies oftherelevant provisions.
(b) Exceptions
Theexceptions referred toabove arecontained inthefollowing lawsandregulations. Copies
oftherelevant provisions areattached tothisnotification.
LaworRegulation Relevant Provision
... ...
... ...
2IntheTRIPS Agreement, theword "protection" isdefined, forthepurposes ofArticles 3and4,toinclude matters
affecting theavailability, acquisition, scope, maintenance andenforcement ofintellectual property rights, aswellasthose
matters affecting theuseofintellectual property rights specifically addressed intheTRIPS Agreement.