WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/77
15September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3627)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES: INFORMATION FROM
DEVELOPED COUNTRY MEMBERS
Japan
Atthemeetings oftheCouncil forTRIPS of22February and9May1996 itwasagreed that
developed country Members would annually update information ontheir technical andfinancial
cooperation activities relevant totheimplementation oftheTRIPS Agreement. Atitsmeeting of
15July1997, theCouncil agreed thatin1997 thiswould bedoneintimefortheCouncil 'smeeting
scheduled for19September 1997.
Thepresent document reproduces theinformation which hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofJapan bymeans ofacommunication dated 28August 1997.
Communications fromother developed country Members willbecirculated asaddenda tothis
document.
_______________
JAPAN 'STECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION PROGRAMMES
INTHE AREA OFINTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
A. Technical andFinancial Cooperation intheField ofIndustrial Property Rights
1. Development ofHuman Resources
(i) Training course
Since April 1996, theJapanese Patent Office (JPO) hasbeencarrying outanewcooperative
program, called the"1000 by2000 Program" inorder toassist thedevelopment ofhuman resources
inthefieldofindustrial property fordeveloping countries. Theprogram 'starget istoinvite atotal
of1000 people ingovernment andtheprivate sector toJapan toparticipate intraining courses bythe
year2000, which isthetime-limit forthese developing countries toimplement theTRIPS Agreement.
While theprogram covers alldeveloping countries intheworld, itisparticularly centered oncountries
intheAsia-Pacific region. In1996, thetotalof227participants were accepted from government
organizations andprivate companies in21countries andoneregion.
(a) Training courses forgovernment officials
TheJPOholds anannual one-month group training course onindustrial property rights inJune,
under thetitleof"Group Training Course inAdministration ofIndustrial Property", focusing moreIP/C/W/77
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specifically onadministrative aspects forthebenefit ofgovernment officials. Thiscourse isdesigned
forparticipants from countries outside theAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region.
TheJPOannually offers atwo-month group course starting inSeptember, the"Group Training
Course inExamination Practice onIndustrial Property", focusing more onexamination aspects for
examiners intheintellectual property offices. Participants willbedivided intothreegroups according
totheir specialities: patents, industrial designs andtrademarks. Thiscourse isalsodesigned for
participants from thenon-APEC region.
From 1997, theJPOwillofferanewtwo-month training course, alsostarting inSeptember,
forparticipants from theAPEC region. The"Training Course inIndustrial Property forAPEC
Economies" willfocus morespecifically onadministrative aspects forthebenefit ofgovernment officials
andexaminers inintellectual property offices. Participants willbedivided intofourgroups according
totheirspecialities: administration, patents, industrial designs andtrademarks. Participation isrestricted
totheAPEC economies.
These threetraining courses aremanaged bytheJPOincooperation withtheJapan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA), andAsia-Pacific Industrial Property Center oftheJapan Institute of
Invention andInnovation (APIC, JIII).
Inthe18years until1996, theJPOhasreceived 360officials from developing countries for
theabove-mentioned courses andtheJICA counterpart training course.
Japan hasmade voluntary contributions totheWIPO Funds-in-Trust, which finances training
courses forparticipants intheregion ofEconomic andSocial Communication forAsiaandthePacific
(ESCAP). Under theFunds-in-Trust, theJPOhadreceived 131participants bytheendof1996.
(b) Training courses fortheprivate sector
In1996, theJPOstarted anewtraining program fortheprivate sector inAPEC economies
withtheassistance ofAPIC ofJIIIandAssociation ofOverseas Technology Scholarship (AOTS).
Thetraining program willbedivided intotwocourses, under thetitlesof"Industrial Property Rights
Training Course forManagement", and"Industrial Property Rights Training Course forOperational
Staff". People invited from theprivate sector represented alarge variety ofprofessions, including
patent agents, lawyers, university professors andcorporate staffinvolved withindustrial property issues
inprivate companies.
TheJPOhasprovided atraining course fortheprivate sector inthenon-APEC region in
cooperation withAPIC ofJIIIandAOTS since 1994. Again, asimilar widevariety ofprofessions
arerepresented byparticipants.
From 1994 until1996, atotalnumber of204participants were received inthese training
programs.
(ii) Expert missions
Inthe18years until1996, theJPOhasdispatched 206experts including patent experts to
industrial property offices indeveloping countries: 88experts through theWIPO Funds-in-Trust, 87
fortheJICA technical cooperation projects, and31forother purposes.IP/C/W/77
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(iii) Regional meetings
InSeptember 1997, theAsian Regional Forum (formerly called WIPO Round Table) under
theWIPO Funds-in-Trust willbeheldinTokyo withthetheme "Intellectual Property inthe21st
Century". TheForum willinvite 23senior officials asrepresentatives fromindustrial property offices
inthe23Asian countries tomeetandexchange views ontheForum 'stheme.
TheJPOwillhold, withtheassistance ofJIII,theAsian Intellectual Property Rights Seminar
inSeptember 1997 inconjunction withtheWIPO Asian Regional Forum.
TheWIPO Asian Regional Symposium onIndustrial Property Strategy forEconomic
Development isscheduled tobeheldinIndiainJanuary/February 1998. Theexamination anddiscussion
willbedelivered intheSymposium ontheappropriate industrial property strategy foraccelerating
technological andeconomic development.
(iv) APEC Symposium andPartners forProgress (PFP) Project
InAugust 1996, theAPEC Symposium onIntellectual Property Rights washeldinTokyo.
Senior officials from theintellectual property offices ofall18APEC countries gathered forthefirst
timetodiscuss thetheme. Attheendofthesymposium, ajointstatement wasissued onenhanced
cooperation among members toimprove thelevel ofIPRprotection intheAPEC region. Partners
forprogress (PFP) isanewmechanism tofurther promote economic andtechnical cooperation on
thebasisofmutual assistance andvoluntarism inAPEC. ThePFPproject onindustrial property rights
wasendorsed attheAPEC Senior Official Meeting heldinCebu, thePhilippines on22May1996.
ThisAPEC/PFP course aimstofoster adeeper understanding oftheestablishment andmanagement
ofindustrial property systems bydeveloping human resources tomeetinternational obligations with
respect toindustrial property protection.
InFebruary andMarch 1997, theAPEC/PFP course wasconducted bytheGovernment of
theKingdom ofThailand incollaboration withtheGovernment ofJapan through theJICA. Thecourse
wasdivided intotwoparts. ThenextAPEC/PFP Course forAPEC member economies isscheduled
tobeheldinThailand inNovember andDecember 1997.
2. Computerization andInformation Processing
(i) Development ofinformation searching system
TheJapanese Government started acooperation program toestablish theIndustrial Property
Information Center (IPIC) inThailand under theJICA project-type technical cooperation.
Under thiscooperation project, thepatent information andknow-how ofoffice-automation of
theJapanese Patent Office (JPO), theMinistry ofInternational Trade andIndustry, willbeprovided
toThailand. Forasmoother technical transfer, theJapanese Government willprovide necessary
equipment, dispatch Japanese experts, andoffer training programs inJapan forThaitrainees.
With theabove cooperation, theefficiency ofthepatent examination intheDepartment of
Intellectual Property ofThailand willbeimproved andtechnological information willbeprovided to
thepublic asaresult. TheJapanese Government contributes tothemodernization oftheindustrial
property administration anddevelopment ofThaiindustry asawhole.IP/C/W/77
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(ii) Development oftrademark retrieval system andadministration systems
TheJapanese Government dispatched twolong-term experts toimprove thetrademark retrieval
system andtoprovide support forestablishing atrademark application processing system.
(iii) Provision of"Patent Abstract ofJapan (PAJ)" inCD-ROM
InApril, theJPOstarted providing about 80national offices andother organizations allover
theworld withthePAJinCD-ROM.
3. Assistance inSearch andExamination
(i) Cooperation inpatent examination
In1994, theJPOstarted acooperation program inthefieldofpatent search andexamination
withThailand andsentfinalexamination reports onthepatent applications filedinbothJapan and
Thailand byJapanese applicants.
TheJPOsentfinalreports for74cases in1995 and89cases in1996.
TheJPOstarted thesame cooperation program withIndonesia. Thenumber ofreports sent
toIndonesia were 101and55in1995 and1996 respectively.
(ii) Prior artsearch forprivate sectors andpatent offices
TheJPOwillmakesearchreportsuponrequestofprivatecorporationsandpatentofficesthrough
theinternational bureau ofWIPO every year(upto100reports ayear).
B. Technical andFinancial Cooperation intheField ofCopyright
Through theWIPO Trust Fund ofJapan, theGovernment ofJapan hasbeencarrying out
"APACE Programme: Asia-Pacific Copyright Systems Enhancement Programme" since theJapanese
fiscal year1993. Thepurpose ofthisProgramme is,through annual contribution toWIPO 's
"Development Cooperation Programme intheField ofCopyright andNeighbouring Rights for
Developing Countries", toprovide Asia-Pacific countries withtheactivities which contribute tothe
dissemination andpromotion ofcopyright systems.
ThisProgramme ismainly composed ofthefollowing three activities:
(a) Annual International Seminar onCopyright andNeighbouring Rights
1993: inTokyo, Japan (100participants from 20countries)
1994: inPhanga-Phuket, Thailand (60participants from 20countries)
1995: inSuva, Fiji(30participants from tencountries)
1996: inDenpasar, Indonesia (60participants from 20countries)
1996: inChang Mai, Thailand (30participants from 20countries)IP/C/W/77
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1997: inNuku'alofa, Tonga (20participants from tencountries)
1998: (tobeheldinSubic, thePhilippines inDecember)
(b) Annual Training Programme forExperts inJapan
1994: 5participants from China, India, Indonesia andMongolia
1995: 4participants from thePhilippines, theRepublic ofKorea, Thailand andVietNam
1996: 5participants from Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, SriLanka andTonga
(c) Contribution toWIPO National Seminars (bySending Japanese Experts)
1993: inChina andBangladesh
1994: inMongolia, Malaysia andPakistan
1995: inVietNam andSriLanka
1996: inMongolia, China andKorea
1997: inMongolia
C. Technical andFinancial Cooperation intheField ofPlant Variety Protection
Through theUPOV Trust Fund ofJapan, theGovernment ofJapan hassupported aprogramme
which provides Asian countries withseminars onplantvariety protection systems sinceJapanese fiscal
year1991. Thepurpose ofthisprogramme istocontribute tothepromotion andestablishment of
theplant variety protection system inAsia.
Details oftheseminars which havebeenheldareasfollows:
1991: 12-15November, participants from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines,
Singapore andThailand, heldinJapan;
1992: 17-19November, participants from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines,
Singapore andThailand, heldintheRepublic ofKorea;
1993: 15-17September, participants fromIndonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Thailand,
theRepublic ofKorea, Bangladesh, India andPakistan, heldinChina,
1994: 13-23September, heldinChina
28and29September, heldinPakistan
1and2December, heldinMalaysia
5and6December, heldinIndonesia
8and9December, heldinthePhilippines
1995: 5-7December, participants from Malaysia, thePhilippines, Singapore, Thailand,
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, SriLanka andVietNam, heldinIndonesia;IP/C/W/77
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1996: 11-16November, participants fromUzbekistan, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakstan,
Tadjikistan andGeorgia, heldintheKyrgyz Republic
12and13September, heldinIndia
16and17September, heldinBangladesh
19and20September, participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines and
Thailand, heldinVietNam.
D. Technical andFinancial Cooperation intheField ofBorder Measures
In1997, theMinistry ofFinance oftheGovernment ofJapan started atraining course inthe
fieldofborder measures fortheenforcement ofintellectual property rights. Thepurpose ofthis
programme istoassist intheimplementation oftheTRIPS Agreement bythedeveloping countries
intheAsia-Pacific region.
Details oftheprogramme which havebeenheldareasfollows:
1997: 5-14March, participants from China andIndonesia, heldinJapan;
1997 (November, participants from thePhilippines, Thailand andVietNam, willbeheld
inJapan.)