IP/C/W/632/Add.5  
 
6 October 2017  
(17-5395) Page: 1/4 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects of Intellectual 
Property Rights  Original: English  
 
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N ACTIVITIES:  
INFORMATION FROM MEM BERS  
SWITZERLAND  
Addendum  
The following communication, dated 26  September 2017, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Switzerland.  
 
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1.  Following documents IP/C/W/12/Add.3 of 13 September 1995, IP/C/W/34/Add.2 of 
17 September 1996, IP/C/W/77/Add.3 of 30 September 1997, IP/C/W/109/Add.1 of 
4 September  1998, IP/C/W/154/Add.2 of 8 October 1999, IP/C/W/203/Add.1 of 
13 September  2000, IP/C/W/306/Add.3 of 18 Septem ber 2001, IP/C/W/377/Add.9 of 
24 January  2003, IP/C/W/408/Add.4 of 14 November 2003, IP/C/W/426/Add.2 of 
8 September  2004, IP/C/W/455 of 5 October 2005, IP/C/W/476 of 14 September 2006, 
IP/C/W/496 of 28 September 2007, IP/C/W/514/Add.4 of 17  October 2008, IP/C/W/536/Add.3 of 
20 October 2009, IP/C/W/550/Add.2 of 20 October 2010, IP/C/W/560/Add.5 of 14 October 2011, 
IP/C/W/582/Add.4  of 25 October 2012, IP/C/W/593/Add.5 of 4 October 2013, IP/C/W/593/Add.5 
of 4 October 2014, IP/C/W/610/Add.3 of 1 October 2015 a nd IP/C/W/617/Add.2  of 
14 October  2016 in which much of the description of the aims and organisational aspects of 
technical coop eration remains relevant, this report describes the activities of the Swiss Federal 
Institute of Intellectual Property (hereafter "the IPI") in the field of technical cooperation between 
1 September 2016 and 31 August 20171. Drafted along the same lines as  the preceding reports, 
this document draws a distinction between multilateral and bilateral activities. It is the objective of 
the Swiss authorities to ensure optimal coordination of available resources, both at the multilateral 
and bilateral level, while  avoiding duplication or the overlap of programmes.  
1  MULTILATERAL ACTIVIT IES - TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N IN THE FRAMEWORK O F 
THE WORLD INTELLECTUAL P ROPERTY ORGANIZATION  (WIPO) AND WORLD TRA DE 
ORGANIZATION (WTO)  
1.1  Free-of-Charge Searches for WIPO in Favour of Dev eloping Countries  
2.  Since 1987, the IPI has been participating in the "WIPO Patent Information Services for 
Developing Countries (WPIS)," which WIPO set up and operates for handling individual requests 
for patent information (state -of-the-art search reports). Additionally, since 1  January  2011, the IPI 
has been participating in the "International Cooperation on Examination (ICE)" part of WPIS. 
The IPI thus not only establishes "state -of-the-art search reports", but also "search and 
examination reports ". These types of reports are established to facilitate national patent 
applications in the beneficiary countries. The programme supports the national patent offices in 
building up their competencies in search and examination procedures, and helps to stren gthen 
the patent system and legal certainty worldwide.  
                                                
1 Unless otherwise indicated.  IP/C/W/632/Add.5  
 
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  3.  Between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2017, the IPI conducted, at the request of WIPO, 
free-of-charge searches for the following countries:  
 
Country  Number of 
searches  
ICE-Searches:   
Viet Nam 5 
Madagascar  2 
Trinidad and Tobago  1 
WPIS -Searches:   
- - 
Total  8 
2  BILATERAL ACTIVITIES  
2.1  China  
4.  During the reporting period, a delegation of government officials from Hubei Intellectual 
Property Bureau from the People's Republic of China was welcomed at the IPI and introduced to 
the Swiss system of intellectual property rights protection.  
2.2  Colombia  
5.  The Colombian –Swiss Intellectual Property Project (COLIPRI) started in January 2013 and will 
last until 30 September 2018. The overall goals of the project are higher competitiveness, more 
value added to Colombian products, and a positive impact on Colombia 's social and economic 
development. COLIPRI's two main institutional partners and beneficiaries are the Delegatura de 
Propiedad Industrial at the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio  (SIC) and the Ministerio 
del Interior  of Colombia. COLIPRI is financed by the Swiss State Secretariat of Economy (hereafter 
"the SECO"), while the IPI serves as the executive agency for the project. The following activities 
were undertaken within the reporting period:  
6.  Under component A " The S IC better serves the IPR users" : 
 Workshop on the Nice classification by IPI trademark experts for the SIC trademark 
division (60participants);  
 Pedagogy coaching for the training division at Aula de Propiedad Intelectual  (API) to 
enable it to give more trai ning courses by itself ('train the trainer'); funding 
the participation of two Colombian API representatives at a meeting of Latin American IP 
academies in Florianópolis, Brazil, Nov. 2016; and  
 Peer-to-peer exchange between the Swiss ip -search unit and the  Colombian CIGEPI 
(Centro de Información Tecnológica y Apoyo a la Gestión de la Propiedad Industrial ) on 
the creation, marketing and electronic launch of new services for technology searches.  
7.  Under component B, "Increased knowledge and technology transfer in selected sectors":  
 Providing support in drafting a Knowledge and Technology Transfer User's Guide, to be 
distributed in technology transfer offices and chambers of commerce. Providing 
consolidated input for national policy on scie nce, technology and inn ovation;  IP/C/W/632/Add.5  
 
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   Training on technology transfer and IP licensing for technology and innovation support 
centres and knowledge and technology transfer offices;  
 Support in establishing a national network of knowledge and technology transfer offices; 
and 
 Establishin g the first innovation cluster in Colombia in the tourism sector around the Río 
Magdalena ( Magdalena Travesía Mágica ), including seven regional chambers of 
commerce.  
8.  Under component C "Any producer concerned can access and benefit from the GI legal and 
institutional framework":  
 Supporting Colombia's proposal of a reformulation of Andean Decision 486 for 
the Andean Community's consideration;  
 Organising a tailor -made, one -week seminar on geographical indications (GIs) attended 
by 30 representatives from the public sector, food and handicraft producers, as well as 
social organisations;  
 Designing a GI impact evaluation methodology;  
 Providing ongoing support to the Bocadillo veleño  (guava paste) value chain for its GI 
registration granted by the Superintendence of Commerce and Industry on 30 June 
2017. Creation of the GI ma nagement body, the Fedeveleños  Federation; marketing and 
communication materials;  
 Providing ongoing support to the national handicraft promotion agency, Artesanías de 
Colombia , on better protection for the handicraft sector with IP tools (IP policy and 
standardised IP contract templates); and  
 Providing practical support (organisational development and marketing) to handicraft 
communities, i.e. Sombrero Aguadeño  (hat), Fique de  Curití  (sisal fibre) and Tejeduría 
de San Jacinto  (hammocks), on capitalising more on their GI and collective trademark.  
9.  Under component D, "The Colombian stakeholders identify possible elements for a national TK 
policy":  
 Organising a tailor -made training  seminar conducted for indigenous representatives, 
Afro-Colombian representatives and government representatives, during which they 
provided their recommendations for a future traditional knowledge protection policy; and  
 Drafting a guide on the protection of traditional knowledge in Colombia . 
2.3  Ghana  
10.  The Swiss -Ghanaian Intellectual Property Project, Phase II (SGIP -II) was launched in January 
2016 and is due to conclude in December 2019. The project's overall goal is to contribute to 
Ghana's socio -economic dev elopment by promoting the use and protection of intellectual property 
rights (IPRs). Like SGIP I, SGIP II is financed by the SECO, while the IPI serves as the executive 
agency for the project.  
11.  SGIP-II has four outcome goals. The activities undertaken under  each outcome during 
the reporting period are listed below:  
 Outcome A:  An enabling IP environment in place and an improved service provision for IP 
users  
 Training for the Chief State Attorney General from the Ministry of Justice and Attorney 
General on how  the IPI is organised and conducts its mandated functions.  
 Outcome B:  Targeting research institutions and SMEs to increase the commercialisation of 
their IPRs  
 Meetings with educational and research institutions were held in order to obtain 
an assessment of  their internal intellectual property policies. This information will be 
used to provide further training.  IP/C/W/632/Add.5  
 
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   Outcome C:  Improving the protection and enforcement of IPRs for higher economic benefits 
for right holders and safeguarding consumers from substanda rd goods  
 Training on copyright enforcement was held for police personnel.  
 Outcome D:  Increasing the legal protection of GIs to better market traditional products for 
the benefit of rural and artisanal communities  
 A study was conducted by local and internat ional consultants to assist stakeholders in 
identifying products to be registered as GIs.  
2.4  Indonesia  
12.  The first phase of the Indonesian -Swiss Intellectual Property Project (ISIP) was successfully 
completed in June 2016. Due to the positive results and ongoin g need for optimising Indonesia's IP 
system, both partners agreed to enter into a second phase of the project. Thus, the ISIP -II started 
in May 2017 and will focus on:  
 Supporting, at policy level, the protection and commercialisation of intellectual proper ty 
rights (IPRs) and the development of Indonesia's creative economy;  
 Technical and capacity building assistance to the DGIP to better serve intellectual 
property rights (IPRs) users; and  
 Strategic support to Indonesian GIs to sustainably increase their economic value and 
reinforce the capacity of the GI producers association.  
13.  The objectives respond to the priority of the Indonesian President to strengthen Indonesia's 
creative economy sector. As for the GIs component of the project, after focusing on the legal 
registration in phase one, phase two will focus on developing the value chain and market access 
for these producers.  
2.5  Pacific Alliance  
14.  In April 2016, gov ernment officials from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru visited the IPI for 
a presentation on the  Swiss intellectual property and innovation system.  
2.6  Serbia  
15.  The signature of the State Agreement on the implementation of the project between Serbia 
and Switzerland in July 2017 launched the second phase of the Serbian -Swiss Intellectual Property 
Project ( SSIP II). The project aims at strengthening the use of intellectual property rights in 
Serbia. This is in order to contribute to the achievement of higher competitiveness, to increase 
the added -value of Serbian products, and to positively impact on Serbia' s economic development.  
16.  The protection of GIs is of particular interest to the Government of Serbia.  
17.  Selected  areas of cooperation include:  
 Increasing the demand of IP users to protect and capitalise on their IPRs;  
 Improving the legal and institutional framework as well as the enforcement of GIs, in 
order to facilitate the economic and social benefits of producers and consumers; and  
 Strengthening capacities for the market valorisation of GI products to better market 
traditional products for the benefit o f rural and artisanal communities.  
18.  During the reporting period, a planning and a monitoring mission took place in July and 
December 2016. The implementation of project activities started in September 2017 . 
 
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