RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/65
14May1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2020)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION INTHE FIELDS OFPATENTS, LAYOUT-DESIGNS
(TOPOGRAPHIES) OFINTEGRATED CIRCUITS, PROTECTION OF
UNDISCLOSED INFORMATION AND CONTROL OF
ANTI-COMPETITIVE PRACTICES INCONTRACTUAL LICENCES
Replies from Slovenia toquestions posed bytheEuropean Communities
andtheirMember States, Japan andtheUnited States
REPLIES TOQUESTIONS POSED BYTHE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THEIR
MEMBER STATES
Patents
1. Article 12(1) oftheLawonIntellectual Property excludes patentability ofcertain inventions
thepublication oruseofwhich would becontrary tolawormorality. Isthereference to"publication
oruse"broader incoverage thantheterm"commercial exploitation" usedinArticle 27.2ofTRIPS
todefine therelevant permitted exclusions frompatentability?
Thephrase "publication oruse"isalmost identical withtheEnglish textofArticle 53(a) of
theEuropean Patent Convention. However, itwillbeamended tocomply withArticle 27.2ofthe
TRIPSAgreementwhich,meanwhile,issupersedingtheLIPonthebasisofArticle8oftheConstitution,
which provides fordirect applicability ofinternational treaties asnational law.
Layout-designs (topographies) ofintegrated circuits
1. OnwhatbasiscantheSlovenian court reach decisions concerning royalties forthecommercial
exploitation ofprotected layout designs incases where therightholder andtheperson exploiting the
design havenotreached agreement? Istheconcept of"reasonable royalty" found inSlovenian law
(Article 37.1TRIPS)?
Theconcept of"reasonable royalty" doesnotappear verbatim inSlovenian law,though itis
tobeassumed thatthecourt willdecide accordingly. Inaddition, theTRIPS Agreement isdirectly
applicable asthelaw(seeArticle 8oftheConstitution) andistherefore binding forcourts.
Protection ofundisclosed information
1. Howisundisclosed testorother datawhich issubmitted totheSlovenian Government asa
condition ofapproving themarketing ofpharmaceutical orofagricultural chemical products protected
under Slovenian law(Article 39.3TRIPS)?
The Article 52(1) oftheLaw onMarketing ofPharmaceutical Products (Official
Gazette No.9/96) explicitly provides thatthedocumentation which accompanies anapplication forIP/C/W/65
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amarketing authorization shallremain theproperty oftheapplicant andbeconsidered asatradesecret.
Inaddition, Article 39.3ofTRIPS isdirectly applicable asthelawasfarasagricultural products are
concerned.
REPLIES TOQUESTIONS POSED BYJAPAN
Patents
1. Inyourcountry, arethefollowing subject matters protectable bypatent: (1)Plants andanimals,
and(2)Plant andanimal varieties?
Yes(seeArticle 12oftheLawonIndustrial Property (LIP) inconjunction withArticle 8(1)).
2. Inyourcountry, istheactofoffering forsaleincluded intheexclusive rights ofpatent?
Yes(seeespecially point 2ofArticle 32oftheLIP).
3. Inyourcountry, whatkindsofactsarerecognized asexceptions totheexclusive rights conferred
byapatent right?
Exceptions totheexclusive rights conferred byapatent rightaredefined intheArticle 32(2)
ofLIPwhich reads asfollows:
"The rights conferred byapatented invention shallnotextend to:
(i) actsdoneprivately andfornon-commercial purposes;
(ii) actsdoneforresearch andexperimental purposes ofanykindrelating tothesubject
matter ofthepatented invention irrespective oftheirfinalpurpose;
(iii) theextemporaneous preparation forindividual cases inapharmacy ofamedicine in
accordance withamedical prescription oractsconcerning themedicine soprepared;
(iv) theuseonboard vessels ofother countries oftheUnion ofParis fortheProtection
ofIndustrial Property ofthepatented invention, inthebody ofthevessel, inthe
machinery, tackle, gearandother accessories, when such vessels temporarily or
accidentally enter thewaters oftheRepublic ofSlovenia, provided thattheinvention
isusedthere exclusively fortheneeds ofthevessel;
(v) theuseofthepatented invention intheconstruction oroperation ofaircraft orland
vehicles ofother countries orofaccessories tosuchaircraft orlandvehicles, when
these temporarily oraccidentally enter theterritory oftheRepublic ofSlovenia;
(vi) theactsspecified inArticle 27oftheConvention oninternational civilaviation of
7December 1944where these actsconcern theaircrafts ofaStatebenefiting fromthe
provisions ofthatArticle."
4. Inyourcountry, inwhich caseisusewithout theauthorization oftherightholder permitted,
including usebythegovernment orbythird parties authorized bythegovernment?
Theusewithout theauthorization oftherightholder ispossible intwocases:IP/C/W/65
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First, according toArticle 43ofLIP,aninvention maybeusedwithout authorization ofthe
rightholder ifprior tothefiling ofanapplication athird person hadbeenexploiting thatinvention
privately ingood faithorhadmade thenecessary preparation foritsexploitation.
Second, ifacompulsory licence isgranted under conditions setoutinArticle 113to118of
theLIP. Acompulsory licence maybegranted onlyifaninvention isinthepublic interest orifthe
patentee misuses therights granted byapatent tohim. Thelawprovides formany restrictions asfar
asacompulsory licence isconcerned, andalsoprovides forsafeguarding thelegitimate interests of
apatentee.
5. Inyourcountry, howistheobligation under TRIPS Articles 34.1and34.2regarding theshift
oftheburden ofproof incivilproceedings forpatent infringement related toaprocess patent
implemented?
Theshiftoftheburden ofproof isprovided forinArticle 93(3) ofLIP. Thisprovision is
incompliance withprovisions ofArticle 33ofTRIPS.
REPLIES TOQUESTIONS POSED BYTHE UNITED STATES
Patents
1. Article 47oftheLawonIndustrial Property implements Article 11oftheParis Convention
regardingprotectionforinventionsdisplayedatrecognizedexhibitions.Itrestrictsacceptableexhibitions
tothose heldinSlovenia orthecountries oftheParis Union. Please explain howthisprovision complies
withtherequirement toprovide national treatment andmost-favoured nation treatment toallWTO
Members pursuant toArticles 3and4oftheTRIPS Agreement.
2. Article 48oftheSlovenian LawonIndustrial Property implements Article 4oftheParis
Convention regarding theright ofpriority. Thisprovision islimited tonationals ofcountries ofthe
Paris Union. Please explain howthisprovision complies withtherequirements ofArticle 4oftheTRIPS
Agreement toprovide most-favoured nation treatment toallTRIPS Members.
Answers toquestions 1and2
TheLawonIndustrial Property (LIP) hadbeenadopted before theTRIPS Agreement was
concluded, however, theTRIPS Agreement isdirectly applicable asalaw(Article 8oftheConstitution).
Consequently, therights provided forinArticles 47and48oftheLIPforMembers oftheParisUnion
extend automatically toallWTO Members.
3. Article 94oftheLawonIndustrial Property defines infringement ofapatent asanyunauthorized
use.Nospecific actsofinfringement areenumerated inthisoranyother provision ofSlovenian law.
Please explain howtheSlovenian patent lawcomplies withArticle 28oftheTRIPS Agreement, in
particular withrespect tothespecifically enumerated rights thataretobeassociated withthegrant
ofapatent.
Exclusive rights conferred byapatent areenumerated inArticle 32(1) oftheLIPandareto
beinterpreted tobeincompliance withtheprovision ofArticle 28ofTRIPS.IP/C/W/65
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4. Articles 113through 118oftheIndustrial Property Lawprovide forthegrant ofcompulsory
licences. These Sections, however, donotimpose thespecific terms ofcompulsory licences thatare
granted inSlovenia, northesituations where suchlicences aretobeterminated. Inlightofthis,please
explain howSlovenian lawcomplies withthefollowing provisions ofArticle 31oftheTRIPS Agreement:
(a) thefirstclause ofparagraph (c),which requires thatthescope ofanylicence belimited
tothepurpose forwhich itwasauthorized;
(b) thesecond clause ofparagraph (c),which specifies thatlicences forinventions inthe
fieldofsemiconductor technology mayonlybejustified forpublic non-commercial use
ortoremedy ajudicial oradministrative finding ofanti-competitive practices;
(c) paragraph (e),which precludes assignability ofacompulsory licence except withthe
transfer ofthatpartoftheenterprise orgoodwill which enjoys theuseofthepatented
invention authorized bythelicence;
(d) paragraph (f),which restricts theauthorization provided byacompulsory licence to
useofthepatented invention forsupplying thedomestic market oftheMember;
(e) paragraph (g),which specifies thatthepatent owner beabletoseektermination of
thelicence when theconditions leading toitsgrant cease toexistandareunlikely to
recur; and
(f) paragraph (h),which requires theremuneration totakeintoaccount theeconomic
value oftheauthorization provided bythecompulsory licence.
Slovenian lawcomplies withthefollowing provisions ofArticle 31oftheTRIPS Agreement.
(a) Theprovision ofArticle 31,paragraph (c)oftheTRIPS Agreement ismetby
Article 115oftheLIPwhich explicitly describes thatacompulsory licence maynot
extend thescope andduration inrespect ofthepurpose forwhich itwasgranted.
(b) TheSlovenian LawonProtection ofTopographies ofIntegrated Circuits doesnot
provide forthepossibility ofcompulsory licence atall.
(c) Theprovision ofArticle 31(e) oftheTRIPS Agreement ismetindirectly by
Article 113(3) oftheLIPwhich specifies thatacompulsory licence maybegranted
onlytopersons whoprovide evidence ofpossessing thetechnological facilities and
manufacturing capacities required foreffective working ofthepatented invention.
(d) Anyjudicial decision about compulsory licence canbegranted onlywithrespect to
anypatent valid inSlovenia andunder circumstances prevailing inSlovenia.
(e) Theprovision ofArticle 31,paragraph (g)oftheTRIPS Agreement ismetby
Article 115oftheLIP.
(f) Article 31,paragraph (h)oftheTRIPS Agreement isdirectly applicable inconjunction
withArticle 117oftheLIP.IP/C/W/65
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5. Article 114oftheIndustrial Property lawpermits theissuance ofcompulsory licences tothe
holders ofdependent patents ifthesubject matter ofthedependent patent is"ofspecial importance
fortheeconomy orisinthepublic interest". Clause (l)ofArticle 31permits compulsory licences only
ifthesubject matter ofthedependent patent isan"important technical advance ofconsiderable economic
significance". Please explain howArticle 114complies withArticle 31(l) oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Please alsoexplain howtherequirement thatthelicence benon-assignable hasbeenimplemented in
Slovenia.
Thephrase "special importance fortheeconomy" inArticle 114oftheLIPistobeinterpreted
tohave thesame meaning asclause (1)ofArticle 31oftheTRIPS Agreement. With regard to
non-assignability, seetheanswer tothequestion 4(c)above.
6. Article 121oftheIndustrial Property Lawexcludes fromliability forinfringement theuseof
certain patented substances asmedicines ifthepatent applications werefiledbefore acertain date.
Please explain howthiscomplies withtherequirements of:
(a) Article 70.2, which requires allWTO Members toapply theAgreement toallsubject
matter inexistence atthedateofapplication;
(b) Article 27.1, which prohibits discrimination among different fields oftechnology; and
(c) Article 30,which places limitations onthetypes ofexceptions totheexclusive rights
associated withthegrant ofapatent.
(a) Theprime legaleffect ofArticle 121oftheLIPisthatthesubject matter which relates
tosubstances asmedicines forhumans andanimals inpatent claims, orpartsthereof,
ofpatents having filing orpriority dateonorbefore 31December 1992, has
automatically fallen intothepublic domain withitsfirstdisclosure tothepublic. The
provision ofArticle 121oftheLIP,thattheuseofsuchsubject matter doesnot
constitute anactofinfringement, isbased on,anddirectly deducted from, thiseffect.
Another consequence arising outofthetime limit setbythespecified dateof
31December 1992 isthatallsubject matter affected byArticle 121oftheLIPhas
fallen intopublic domain before thedateofapplication oftheTRIPS Agreement. In
compliance withArticle 70.3oftheTRIPS Agreement, Article 121oftheLIPdoes
notaffect thevalidity ofArticle 70.2oftheTRIPS Agreement, which isfullyapplicable
inrespect ofallsubject matter existing atthedateofapplication ofthisAgreement.
Answer toparts (b)and(c)ofquestion 6
Article 121oftheLIPispartoftransitional andfinalprovisions oftheLIP,which
means thatitsapplicability wastimely limited, asexplained already above intheanswer to
thequestion 6(a). Allactsinrespect ofthisArticle hadtherefore occurred, anditsapplicability
hadbeenexhausted, before thedateofapplication oftheTRIPS Agreement. Thefactthat
Article 121oftheLIPdoesnotcomply withprovisions ofArticles 27.1and30oftheTRIPS
Agreement istherefore notrelevant, when theabove timelimit, together withArticle 70.1
oftheTRIPS Agreement, istaken under consideration. Itshould benoted, however, that
substantive provisions oftheLIP,especially Articles 8to12,docomply withtheprovisions
ofthesaid(andother) Articles oftheTRIPS Agreement without anyrestriction fromthedate
ofitsapplication.IP/C/W/65
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7. Please explain whether allpatents inforce inSlovenia asof1January 1996 haveatermof
protection oftwenty years fromthefiling date. Ifnot,please explain which patents arenotgiven this
term, andhowSlovenian lawcomplies withtheobligations ofArticle 70.2oftheTRIPS Agreement.
Allpatents inforce inSlovenia asof1January 1996 haveatermofprotection of20years
from thefiling date.
8. Please indicate howmany compulsory licences onayearly basishavebeengranted inSlovenia
since 1January 1993.
Nocompulsory licence hasbeengranted inSlovenia sinceitsindependence, i.e.25June1991.