IP/C/W/591/Add.1  
 
19 September 2013  
(13-4957)  Page: 1/3  
Council for Trade-Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English  
 
 TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES: INFORMATION FROM  
OTHER INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS 
ORGANSATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION  
AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD) 
Addendum 
At its meeting of 11-12 June 2013, the Council for TRIPS agreed to invite intergovernmental 
organization observers to the Council to update the information on their technical and financial cooperation programmes relating to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. 
 
The present document reproduces the information which has been received from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by means of a communication dated 
11 September 2013. 
 
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While the OECD undertakes a range of activities rela ting to intellectual property rights (IPRs) and 
relevant to the TRIPS Agreement, we do not operate technical and financial cooperation 
programmes related to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. 
 The OECD would nevertheless like to draw attent ion to several projects underway or recently 
completed that may be of interest as they touch upon TRIPS-related topics:   
 
 Trade-related aspects of intellectual property :  
 
o OECD has conducted an on-going series of studies on trade-related aspects of 
intellectual property rights, published as Trade Policy Papers ( http://www.oecd-
ilibrary.org/trade/oecd-trade-policy-working-
papers_18166873?page=3&sort=pubdateasc ). Work currently underway at OECD 
includes a study on approaches to protection of trade secrets; more information on 
this will be available in the coming year.   
o Protection of IPRs is one dimension of market openness that is reviewed as 
countries accede to the OECD. The market openness reviews from the most recent accessions – including Chile, Estonia, Israel and Slovenia – cover a range of IPR 
issues and can be found on-line here: 
http://www.oecd.org/tad/trade dev/reviewsofmarketopenne sschileestoni aisraelands
lovenia.htm  . 
 
 Intellectual property rights and the environment : The OECD has an on-going research 
programme in the area of the environment th at considers such issues as co-invention, 
technology transfer and other aspects of in tellectual property that are relevant to 
implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. Recent publications can be found here: 
http://www.oecd.org/env/c onsumption-innovation/  
 IP/C/W/591/Add.1 
 
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   Intellectual property rights and investment :  T h e  O E C D  c o n d u c t s  a n  o n - g o i n g  s e r i e s  o f  
investment policy reviews, covering a broad range of countries. Investment policy reviews 
include a section on intellectual property rights and are conducted using http://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/mne /investmentinstruments.htm  and - since its adoption in 
2006 - the http://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/i nvestment-policy/pfi.htm . Over the past year, 
reports have been issued for: Colombia, Kazakhstan, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zambia.  See:  
http://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/inves tment-policy/countryreviews.htm .  
 
 Intellectual property rights and taxes : 
 
o An updated edition of the OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital  
was published in 2012. This document addresses various tax issues related to 
intellectual property such as copyrigh t, patents and trademarks, among other 
intangible assets. Available here: http://www.oecd.o rg/ctp/treaties/  . 
 
o A revised discussion draft containing proposed revisions to the OECD Transfer 
Pricing Guidelines on Transfer Pricing Aspects of Intangibles  was published in July 
2013. The draft contains proposed guidance on identifying intangibles for transfer 
pricing purposes, and on dealing with transa ctions involving the transfer or use of 
intangibles; as well as their ownership, development, enhancement, maintenance and protection. Public consultation on th e draft will be held in November 2013. 
There are also significant cross-overs between this work and the OECD’s Action 
Plan related to Base Erosion and Profit Shifting , particularly with regard to ensuring 
taxation aligns with value creation. Available here: 
http://www.oecd.org/ctp /transfer-pricing/ .  
 
 OECD and innovation in science, technology and industry:  Following release of the OECD 
Innovation Strategy  reports and related materials in 2010-11, the organisation remains 
actively engaged in this issue area including with respect to IPRs, see: http://www.oecd.org/sti/inno/  and http://www.oecd.org/sti/ipr . Recent IPR-related 
activities with respect to science, technology and industry include: 
 
o New Sources of Growth: Knowledge-Based Capital : This project examines the 
measurement and policy implications of growing business investment in 
knowledge-based assets, including inno vative property. It highlights the 
importance of well-designed IPRs, as well as the related need for new policy-oriented research. Key findings were presented at the OECD Meeting of Council at 
Ministerial Level in May 2013: http://www.oecd.org/sti/i nno/knowledge-based-
capital-synthesis.pdf  .  
  
o Knowledge Networks and Markets : This project considered emerging mechanisms 
for transferring and co-creating new knowledge for innovation. The findings are 
presented in a synthesis report issued in June 2013, which provides new evidence on the knowledge-sourcing strategies of firms and their role in shaping innovation 
activities, according to different characteristics, and their impact on performance. 
More information is available here: http://www.oecd.org/innovation/knm.htm  . 
 
o OECD Reviews of Innovation Policy  offer a comprehensive assessment of the 
innovation system of individual countries, focusing on the role of government. They provide concrete recommendations on how to improve policies which impact 
on innovation performance, including R&D policies. Each review identifies good 
practices from which other countries can learn. Recent studies have included increased emphasis on IPRs (e.g., see: Innovation in Southeast Asia , linked 
below). A new initiative in this area is considering national IPR systems in 
emerging countries  notably through their impact on innovation and the diffusion of 
knowledge. A methodology is being develope d to identify key mechanisms for IPRs 
to support development objectives. Initial country studies based on this framework 
will cover Colombia and Indonesia. See: 
http://www.oecd.org/sti/inno/oecdr eviewsofinnovationpolicy.htm  . 
 
o Patent Statistics : The OECD has a range of work underway concerning 
methodology and database development related to patent statistics. The annual IP/C/W/591/Add.1 
 
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  Patent Statistics for Decision Makers  conference -- organised this year by OECD, 
EPO, WIPO, INPI and the Government of Brazil – will be held in Rio de Janeiro during 12-13 November 2013: http://www.oecd.org/site/stipatents . Further 
information on OECD and patent statistics can be found here: 
http://www.oecd.org/sti/ipr-statistics . 
 
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