IP/C/W/610/Add.4  
 
1 October 2015  
(15-5079)  Page: 1/9  
Council for Trade-Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English  
 
 TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES: 
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS 
AUSTRALIA 
Addendum 
The following communication, dated 24 September 2015, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Australia.  
_______________ 
 
 1.  Australia is committed to sharing information with other WTO members on its technical and 
financial cooperation activities in the area of intellectual property rights in fulfilment of Article 67 of 
the TRIPS Agreement. This is a full report on Australia's intellectual property-related technical cooperation activities with developing and least developed countries. It builds upon annual update 
reports provided in 2012 (IP/C/W/582/Add.2), 2013 (IP/C/W/593/Add.7) and 2014 (IP/C/W/601).  
2.  Australia fulfils its Article 67 technical cooperation commitment through multilateral, regional 
and bilateral programs and activities. Many activities are focused on developing countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia works closely with the World Intellectual Property Organization 
(WIPO), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat and other partners to 
assist developing and least developed countries to  build their intellectual property capacity and 
systems. 
3.  Many of the technical co-operation activities implemented under Article 67 align with Australia's 
strategic focus on using aid as a catalyst to promote economic growth and poverty reduction, 
including through a strong emphasis on aid for trade. At the 5th WTO Global Review of Aid for 
Trade conference held in Geneva (30 June-5/07/2015) Australia, alongside other donors, and 
developing countries demonstrated a strong commitment to undertake aid for trade and to support the UN-led post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals.  
4.  Websites containing information on Australia's intellectual property regime, which may be 
considered a technical cooperation resource, include the IP Australia website covering patents, 
designs, trademarks and plant breeders' rights ( http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/ ); the Attorney-
General's Department website on copyright developments ( http://www.ag.gov.au/copyright ); and 
the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website on international IP developments 
(http://www.dfat.gov.au/ip ). 
 
1  AUSTRALIAN ACTIVITIES WITH THE WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 
ORGANISATION (WIPO) 
1.1  Australia-WIPO Funds-in-Trust 5.  The Australian Government has provided AUD 2 million to WIPO from 2012 until 30/06/2016. 
This funding promotes economic growth in deve loping and least developed countries by helping 
these countries to build their intellectual prop erty regimes and capabilities in facilitating IP/C/W/610/Add.4 
 
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  innovation, creativity, investment and technology transfer. There are four themes under Australia's 
Funds-in-Trust, as reflected in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Australia and 
WIPO in June 2012. These themes are: develo pment of the intellectual property system; 
technology transfer (knowledge transfer and commercialisation); addressing neglected tropical 
diseases; and copyright and related rights to assist the blind, visually impaired and other persons 
with print disabilities. Programs implemented un der this funding arrangement are developed in 
consultation with WIPO and the recipient countries. The recipients are involved in the project 
planning to ensure the programs are well suited to their needs. 
6.  Seventeen activities have been delivered to 29 developing countries across all four themes 
during the review period of this report (Oct ober 2014-September 2015). Key outcomes during the 
review period include assisting the Cook Isla nds, Myanmar, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and 
Vanuatu to draft National Intellectual Property st rategies; assisting Indonesian universities draft 
patent applications and commercialise their resear ch; helping fund the placement of five scientists 
from developing countries in key research institutions; and producing educational books in 
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for the visually impaired.1 Further detail on these and other activities 
undertaken with funding from the Funds-in-Trust arrangement is included in the annex to this 
report. 
1.2  Other activities undertaken wi th WIPO or under WIPO auspices 
7.  Australia has reported in this report's annex on other activities conducted with WIPO or under 
WIPO's auspices. For example, Australia also supported two WIPO seminars on Intellectual 
Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expression in 
Geneva in February and June 2015. The seminars attracted more than 170 participants from 
64 countries and representatives from 49 intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations. Australia provided AUD 100,000 to sponsor the important participation of experts and officials from 
developing and least developed countries. Australia also sent its own experts from Government to 
share and explain the intersection between Aust ralia's intellectual property system and the 
protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions. 
Participants in the seminars benefited from panel discussions and presentations on national, 
regional and international dimensions, exploring practical experiences and initiatives. 
2  OTHER MULTILATERAL AND REGIONAL ACTIVITIES 2.1  Economic Cooperation Support Prog ram under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand 
Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA)  
8.  The AANZFTA's Economic Cooperation Support  Program (AECSP) consists of the Economic 
Cooperation Work Program and the AANZFTA Support Unit located in the ASEAN Secretariat. The 
AECSP was established in 2010 as a five year program with funding of AUD 20-25 million. The 
Program, which has now been extended to 30/06/2018, aims to support the ASEAN Secretariat in servicing the AANZFTA Joint Committee and its subsid iary bodies to assist ASEAN Member States, 
particularly Least Developed Countries, with AANZFTA's implementation. Intellectual property is a 
vital component of the AECSP, with the objective being to 'provide comprehensive support for the 
development of sound and balanced intellectual property systems in the AANZFTA region'. The 
following paragraphs outline some of the intellect ual property outcomes achieved under the AECSP 
with further detail provided in the annex to this report.  
9.  IP Australia's Regional Patent Examination Training (RPET) Program delivers intensive 
competency-based patent examination training to examiners of ASEAN Intellectual Property 
Offices that conduct substantive patent examination, to enable them to meet international Patent 
Cooperation Treaty standards. To date, the six ASEA N trainees who participated in the first intake 
of the program in 2013 have graduated from the two-year program. By the conclusion of the third 
intake in 2017, the program will include up to 32 graduates from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, 
Thailand and Viet Nam. It has the potential to cr eate a critical mass of patent examiners that can 
assist with improving patent examination outcomes within the region.  
                                               
1 Young Power Social Action (YPSA) is the local non-government organisation in Bangladesh which 
implemented this program. At the time of the aw ard, YPSA had converted over 160 educational books 
(including text-books) into formats that visually impair ed students can access. At the London Book Fair 2015, 
YPSA won the inaugural Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing.  IP/C/W/610/Add.4 
 
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  10.  Complementing the RPET, an Ideal Patent Examination Training (IPET) Model was developed 
in 2014. An IPET model curriculum, learning management system, and train-the-trainer course will be delivered in late 2015.  
11.  ASEAN's Member States accession to and implementation of the Madrid Protocol enables a 
trade mark owner from ASEAN to seek trade mark protection in multiple jurisdictions 
simultaneously - by filing a single application before a single office and payment of one set of fees. Since 2011, Australia has supported this process, organising workshops and developing national 
roadmaps to guide ASEAN's accession process. In 2015, Australia's involvement included 
participating in training activities on Madrid operations and IT systems for intellectual offices and examiners. IP Australia has provided a number of presenters to participate in workshops on aspects of the Madrid Protocol. In 2015, Cambodia and the Philippines became parties to the 
Madrid Protocol. 
12.  A strategy and resource kit on intellectual property public education and awareness was 
completed in 2014. Drawing on these efforts, a regional information campaign and supporting 
campaign materials will be rolled-out in 2015 to raise awareness among business owners and IP 
creators of the potential of the AANZFTA and the ASEAN Economic Community. 
3  BILATERAL ACTIVITIES 
13.  Australia continues to engage actively with partners to share experiences on aspects of the 
implementation of the standards in TRIPS. The a nnex to this report includes examples of our 
bilateral engagement to facilitate this outcome.  
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  IP/C/W/610/Add.4  
 
- 4 - ANNEX1 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN CONNECTION WITH TRIPS IMPLEMENTATION  
FROM OCTOBER 2014 TO SEPTEMBER 2015  
Activities undertaken under the Australia-World Intellect ual Property Organization Funds in Trust Arrangement 
Activity Date Beneficiary or 
beneficiaries Brief Description 
Capacity Building in Sri Lanka August 2014 – 
May 2015 Sri Lanka Training was provided to Ministry of Education officials, commercial 
publishers and non-governmental organisations on the latest technologies to 
produce accessible books.  Using their new skills these entities produced 
educational titles in Sinhala in accessible formats.  Over 1096 books in accessible formats were produced between August 2014 and May 2015. 
 
Advisory mission to develop a 
National Intellectual Property 
Strategy 
 November 2014  Cook Islands This was a two-member mission to the Cook Islands to develop its national 
intellectual property strategy. The mission comprised an international 
consultant and a WIPO staff member. 
Training program on financial 
and human resource 
management of a National 
Intellectual Property Office   November 2014
 Myanmar Representatives from IP Australia provided training to designated staff of the 
future national intellectual property office on financial and human resource 
aspects of managing an intellectual property office.  
 
Training Program on Trade Mark 
Filing and Registration 
Management November 2014  Myanmar The activity enhanced the knowledge and skills of participants and built their 
confidence in dealing with trademark registrations and related issues.   
 
This training is part of ongoing efforts to assist in building the capacity of 
designated staff from the Ministry of Science and Technology who will work 
in the future national intellectual property office. 
 
                                               
1 In English only.  
  IP/C/W/610/Add.4  
 
- 5 - Activity Date Beneficiary or 
beneficiaries Brief Description 
WIPO Regional Training on 
Intellectual Property Rights 
Management in Research and 
Development Institutions from the Re:Search  Network 
 November 2014
 Cameroon, Egypt, 
Ghana, Mali, Mauritius, 
Nigeria and Tunisia This event, hosted in the US, was targeted at research and development 
institutions from the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics that are 
members of the WIPO Re:Search  Project. Its objective was to assist these 
institutions to create the institutional management policies and organisational infrastructure needed to create and strategically manage their intellectual property.  
WIPO Funds-in-Trust Australia 
Patent Training of Trainers 
Program  
 November 2014  Viet Nam This was a series of patent drafting workshops for intellectual property 
officials in Viet Nam.   
Development of Text-to-Speech Application in Sinhala November 2014 
– May 2015 Sri Lanka This project's main objective was to create high quality, human sounding 
Text-to-Speech software in Sinhala. This software enables DAISY Lanka 
Foundation, a non-profit organisation, to make books text accessible in the 
Sinhala language to print disabled persons in Sri Lanka.  
Capacity building  in Nepal November 2014 
– May 2015 Nepal Training was provided to Ministry of Education officials, commercial 
publishers and non-governmental organisations on the latest technologies to 
produce accessible books.  These entities will use these new skills to produce 
educational titles in accessible formats in Nepali and English. 
 
National Workshop on Successful Technology Licensing 
 December 2014 Viet Nam This workshop trained IP o fficials from Vietnam on technology transfer, with 
a particular focus on using licensing agreements as a tool for facilitating 
transfer.  
Trade mark training for  
Viet Nam 
 December 2014 Viet Nam This activity involved trade mark search and examination training for 
intellectual property officials. 
Capacity Building in Bangladesh December 2014 
- May 2015 Bangladesh Training was provided to Ministry of Education officials, commercial 
publishers and non-governmental organisations on the latest technologies to produce accessible books.  Using their new skills these entities produced 
educational titles in Bengali in accessible formats.  Over 160 books in 
accessible formats were produced.  
Sub-regional Workshop on 
Copyright and Development for 
Decision Makers January 2015 Fiji, Niue, Papua New 
Guinea, Samoa, 
Solomon Islands, 
Tonga, Tuvalu and 
Vanuatu This activity, conducted in Vanuatu, aimed to increase awareness and 
understanding of the role and value of  copyright in cultural and economic 
development among decision makers. It also provided an opportunity for 
participants to discuss decision-making on national and international 
copyright policies and strategies. 
  
  IP/C/W/610/Add.4  
 
- 6 - Activity Date Beneficiary or 
beneficiaries Brief Description 
National Seminar on Copyright 
and Related Rights January 2015 Vanuatu This seminar provided information on copyright and related rights and how 
the system works at a practical level to increase the awareness of 
government officials and main stakeholders. The seminar also provided an 
opportunity for review of the status of the implementation of the National Action Plan adopted in 2012.  
Patent Cooperation Treaty 
Roving Seminars for Universities  March 2015 South Africa These roving seminars provided information and knowledge about how 
different users can use the Patent Cooperation Treaty as a tool for promoting 
research and development and for stimulating knowledge transfer. 
 
Training on the Patent 
Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and 
ePCT March 2015 Brunei Darussalam, 
Cambodia, Indonesia, 
Lao PDR, Malaysia, 
Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and 
 
Viet Nam This training, hosted in Singapore and involving 18 participants (two from 
each of the ASEAN countries), explored  the key PCT and ePCT functions and 
procedures to be applied by these offices.  It also provided a valuable 
opportunity for the participants to exchange their experiences and learn about current PCT-related issues, including the ePCT.  
National Workshop on Copyright 
and Related Rights April 2015 Cook Islands This activity aimed to provide information on copyright and related rights, 
the cultural and economic importance of these rights, and the value of 
establishing a national system for the protection and management of 
copyright and related rights. 
 
Formulation of National IP 
Strategy February-
December 2015 Myanmar The objective of this ongoing activi ty is to formulate a National Intellectual 
Property Strategy that provides a road map for development of a modern 
and viable intellectual property system and that is coherent with the country's national development goals and economic objectives.    
The first activity associated with this project was a consultation meeting on 
the strategy's formulation was held on 13 February 2015.  The process of formulating a strategy is expected to be completed by the end of 2015. 
 
  
   
 
   
  IP/C/W/610/Add.4  
 
- 7 - Activities undertaken on behalf of or in consultati on with WIPO outside the Funds in Trust Arrangement 
Activity Date Beneficiary or 
beneficiaries Brief Description 
 
WIPO Centralised Access to 
Search and Examination (CASE) 
workshop  October 2014 Malaysia In this three day workshop held in Malaysia, representatives from IP 
Australia provided training on the use of WIPO CASE to intellectual property 
officials from Malaysia. 
Regional Patent Examination 
Training (RPET) Trainee 
workshop  October – 
November 2014 Australia hosts and 
manages the RPET 
Programme. 
 
Kenya and the African 
Regional Intellectual 
Property Organization 
participation funded by 
WIPO.  
 The RPET program aims to enhance patent examination standards in 
participating offices. WIPO financially supports participation of the African 
Regional Intellectual Property Organi zation and the Kenyan Industrial 
Property Institute in the RPET program. This workshop was also attended by 
ASEAN participants funded under the ASEAN Economic Support Cooperation 
Programme. 
IGC Seminars February and 
June 2015 The WIPO Secretariat 
administered the 
funding and decision-making around 
participation. 
 Participants funded to 
attend by this means 
were from Bolivia, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Kenya, 
Kyrgyzstan, Jamaica, 
Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco Mozambique, 
Nicaragua, Nigeria, 
Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Africa, 
Thailand, Uruguay and 
Uzbekistan.   Australia supported the participation of officials and delegates from 
developed and least developed countries to participate in this Geneva-based 
seminar on national perspectives on intellectual property and genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.   
  IP/C/W/610/Add.4  
 
- 8 - Activity Date Beneficiary or 
beneficiaries Brief Description 
 
WIPO Workshop on Utilisation of 
Centralised Access to Search and 
Examination (CASE) National 
Workshop to Facilitate Work 
Sharing 
 April 2015 Indonesia The workshop aimed to build the capacity and technical skills of intellectual 
property officials using WIPO CASE, share experiences with WIPO CASE and 
work sharing utilising CASE. 
WIPO CASE National Workshop 
to Facilitate Work Sharing  May 2015 Philippines The workshop aimed to build th e capacity and technical skills of intellectual 
property officials using WIPO CASE, share experiences with WIPO CASE and work sharing utilising CASE.   
Training in implementation of 
the Madrid Protocol June 2015 Cambodia IP Australia provided on the job training to intellectual property officials from 
Cambodia in the practical implementation of the Madrid Protocol.  
 
   
Activities undertaken under the ASEAN-Austr alia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Economic Cooperation Support Program (AECSP) 
Activity Date Beneficiary or beneficiaries Brief Description 
*Regional Patent 
Examination Training (RPET) training 
workshop  October – 
November 2014 Funding from the AECSP supported 
participation of trainees from Indonesia, Malaysia, the 
Philippines, Thailand and 
 
Viet Nam.  
  The RPET program aims to enhance patent examination standards in 
participating offices. The two week face-to-face workshop, hosted in Australia, aimed to reinforce the online learning process and consolidate online 
community building. The workshops also provided the opportunity for trainees 
to further develop their searching skills and examination capacity to Patent Cooperation Treaty standards.  
Madrid training 
workshop for ASEAN 
members December 
2014 Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, 
Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. 
 Representatives from IP Australia presented at this three day training program 
on the Madrid Protocol, held at WIPO Singapore's office. 
RPET Local Supervisor 
Workshop June – July 
2015 Representatives attended from 
Indonesia, Malaysia, the 
Philippines, Thailand and  Viet Nam.   In this week-long workshop, hosted in Australia, RPET Local Supervisors were 
able to consolidate their learning experience as part of the RPET program. 
Local Supervisors assess the competency of trainees on the Programme in respect of office-based examination. 
  
  
  IP/C/W/610/Add.4  
 
- 9 - Bilateral engagement and activities 
Activity 
 Date Location Brief Description 
Meeting with a delegation from 
the Chinese Ministry of 
Commerce 29 October 2014 Australia This delegation, led by th e Vice Director of the National Leading Group on 
the Fight against Intellectual Property Rights Infringement and 
Counterfeiting, met with Australian representatives. An official from the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection gave a presentation to the delegation on the intellectual property enforcement 
framework in Australia.  
Study tour by Brazilian 
Government officials of 
Australia's intellectual property 
system as it relates to the 
protection of traditional 
knowledge and genetic 
resources  
 October – 
December 2014 Australia Over eight weeks, representatives from Brazil and Australia shared 
experiences and expertise in indigenous engagement in the intellectual 
property system. Activities undertaken during this period included practical 
workshops, discussion seminars, policy development and stakeholder 
consultations.  
Workshop for Technical Operational Advisors on 
Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy January 2015 Japan 
 
Participating countries were Japan as funding 
and host country, as 
well as Australia, Bhutan, China (Hong 
Kong), India, Pakistan, 
the Philippines and Tonga.   Hosted by Japan's Customs Training Institute, this workshop was organised 
by the World Customs Organization (WCO) as part of their capacity building 
strategies under the sponsorship of the Japanese Customs Cooperation Fund.   
 
The workshop's objective was to establish a pool of experts capable of independently leading training activities on behalf of the WCO.  The 
workshop was attended by ten candidates from eight Customs 
Administrations in the Asia Pacific, including Australia. The candidates participated in discussion groups, delivering presentations and activities which included the importance of the TRIPS Agreement. The workshop also 
provided an environment to share experiences in the field of intellectual 
property rights protection and to develop opportunities for future cooperation.   
 
Meeting with a delegation from 
the  National Copyright 
Administration of  China 23 April 2015 Australia Members of the Copyright Section within the Attorney-General's Department 
met with a visiting delegation of the National Copyright Administration of 
China to exchange views on copyright law and policy matters of mutual 
interest.  
 
 
 
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