IP/C/W/644 /Rev.1 
 
21 September 2018  
(18-5885) Page: 1/3 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects of  
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English  
 
  
TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N ACTIVITIES: INFORM ATION FROM  
OTHER INTERGOVERNMEN TAL ORGANIZATIONS  
GULF COOPERATION COU NCIL (GCC)  
Revision* 
At its meeting of 4 -5 June  2018, 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 informati on which has been received from the Secretariat 
General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) by means of a communication dated  
18 September  2018.  
 
Communications from other intergovernmental organizations will be circulated as addenda to this 
document.  
 
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1. GCC is an intergovernmental organization with membership of the following States: United 
Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, 
and State of Kuwait.  
2. Pursuant to Article (20) of the G CC Economic Agreement which states that "member States 
shall develop programmes encouraging talented individuals and supporting innovation and 
invention; cooperate in the field of intellectual property and develop regulations and procedures 
ensuring protec tion of intellectual property rights; and coordinate their relevant policies towards 
other countries, regional blocs and international and regional organizations", the GCC Secretariat 
General directs most of its technical cooperation activities to its memb er States.  
3. This document presents a report on main technical cooperation activities undertaken by the 
Secretariat General of the GCC from 14 October 2017 to 10 October 2018, which are relevant to 
intellectual property issues, following the invitation of t he Chairman of the WTO Council for TRIPS 
to provide updated information on such activities.  
4. The most part of the technical assistance activities undertaken by the GCC Secretariat General 
during the above -mentioned period are on patent-related aspects, arb itration in the field of IP, 
litigation on intellectual property rights, strengthening of innovation and enhancing awareness about  
IP issues. These activities are organized in the form of workshop s on-job training, secondment and 
through supporting the par ticipation  in conferences or in international IP exhibitions. These activities 
are listed in the Annex.  
 
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* In English only.   
  IP/C/W/644 /Rev.1  
 
- 2 - ANNEX  
 
 
Summary  Attendance  Location  Date  Activity  
 
Sharing knowledge with Oman IP Office Examiners and 
examining a number of patent applications filed at Oman IP 
Office including Applications filed under PCT  Patent Examiners of Oman 
National IP Office  Oman IP Office  14 October  2017 – 14 
October  2018 One-year Employee 
secondment  
- Formal examination of all patent applications filed at Kuwait IP 
Office.  
- Substantive examination of all patent applications filed at 
Kuwait IP Office.  
- Providing training for examiners of Kuwait IP Office.  Patent Examiners of Kuwait 
IP Office  Kuwait IP Office  - 10 – 19 October  2017 
- 15 October  – 11 
November  2017 
- 12 November  -7 
December  2017 
- 26 November  – 10 
December  2017 
- 10 -21 December  
2017 
- 10 – 14 December  
2017 Assistance in Patent 
Examination  
International exhibition held annually in Germany in which the 
GCC Patent Office participates along with inventors from the 
GCC States to open up doors for communications with those 
concerned in Germany and in the whole world. The GCC Patent 
Office hosting  and supporting participation of all inventors from 
the GCC States  in this exhibition.  Public  Nuremberg  
Germany  2-5 November  2017 
 International Ideas, 
Inventions, Novelties 
Exhibition  
(IENA)  
Strategic Examination Procedure  
In cooperation with USPTO  Examiners from GCC Patent 
office and GCC National IP 
Offices  Kuwait  
GCC IP Training 
Centre  5 -8 November  2017 
 Workshop on Strategic 
Examination Procedure by 
USTPO  
Providing training for examiners of Bahrain IP Office and 
examining a number of  patent applications filed at Bahrain 
Patent Office.  Examiners of the Bahrain 
National IP Office  Bahrain  
IP Office  12-19 November 2017 
19-26 November 2017 On Job training in Patent 
Examination  
Enhancing electronic systems and infrastructure of Bahrain 
Patent Office "E-filling".  IT Experts of the Bahrain 
National IP Office  Bahrain  
IP Office  19-23 November 2017 
07 December  2017 Cooperation in IT System  
Providing training for examiners of the GCC Patent Office and 
examining a number of patent applications in cooperation with 
SIPO.   Examiners from the GCC 
Patent Office  and GCC 
National Patent Offices  Saudi Arabia  
GCC-SG 
Headquarters  19 November  - 18 
Decem ber 2017 On Job Training Program by 
SIPO in Patent Examination  
Classification, Analysis, and Search of Patent  
In Cooperation with WIPO and Kuwait National IP Office and 
KIPO Specialists from the GCC 
Patent office  and GCC 
National IP Office  Saudi Arabia 
GCC-SG 
Headquarters  20-23 November 2017 Workshop on Classification, 
Analysis, and Search of 
Patent Applications by KIPO  
Enabling specialists of the GCC Patent Office to have access to 
the published documents and facilitating exchange of published 
documents and data between the GCC Patent Office and GCC 
national patent offices and other patent offices  Officials and specialists of 
the GCC  Patent office  Saudi Arabia   
GCC-SG 
Headquarters  29 December  2017 Launching of Web Search 
"WIPO Publish"   
  IP/C/W/644 /Rev.1  
 
- 3 - Summary  Attendance  Location  Date  Activity  
 
Arbitration in the field of IP  
In Cooperation with WIPO and Kuwait Arbitration Centre and 
GCC IPTC  Specialists from GCC 
member States  Kuwait  
GCC IP Training 
Centre  23 December  2017 Arbitration Mechanism 
Conference in the Field of IP 
Issues  
Examining of patent applications filed at the Oman IP Office 
including Applications filed under PCT and sharing knowledge 
with the Examiners of the Oman IP Office  Patent Examiners of Oman 
National IP Office  Oman  
IP Office  08 January  2018- 
08 January  2019 One- year Employee 
Secondment  
International exhibition held annually in the State of Kuwait in 
which the GCC Patent Office pre sents a yearly award of 50,000 
SAR for the top three GCC inve ntions, as well as hosting and 
supporting inventors from the GCC member States  Inventors from GCC member 
States and from other 
countries  Members.  Kuwait  
 28-31 January  2018 Middle East International  
Exhibition  
(IIFME  
Training on PCT National Phase Examination and Utilization of 
External Examination work products  
In cooperation with  WIPO  and EPO  Examiners from the GCC 
Patent Office and the GCC 
National IP Offices  Saudi Arabia  
GCC-SG 
Headquarters  28 January  2018-  
01 Feb ruary  2018 Workshop on PCT National 
Phase Examination and 
Utilization of External 
Examination work products  
Conducting substantive examination of all patent applications 
filed at Kuwait IP office by the examiners of the GCC Patent 
Office  Examiners of Kuwait IP 
Office  Kuwait  
IP Office  04 March 2018  Cooperation in Patent 
Examination  
 
Working on developing electronic systems at the Bahrain IP 
Office and launching E -filing system by IT experts of the GCC 
Patent Office  Experts of Bahrain National 
IP Office  Bahrain  
IP Office  04-17 March 2018  Cooperation in IT System  
Enhancing awareness of IP and its important  role Public  Rabigh -  
Saudi Arabia  
King Abdulaziz 
University  26 April  2018 IP Day Celebration  
Enhancing awareness of IP and its important role  Public  Muscat - 
Oman Scientific 
Research Council  26 April  2018 
 IP Day Celebration  
Enhancing awareness of IP and its important role  Public  Saudi Arabia  
GCC-SG 
Headquarters  29 April 2018  
 IP Day Celebration  
Utilizing GCCPO E -systems and re -designing such systems in 
conformity with Oman Patent Law.  IT Experts of the Oman IP 
Office  Oman  
IP Office  01-03 July 2018  Utilizing the GCC Patent 
Office E -Systems  
In cooperation between the GCC IP Training Centre and USPTO  Judges and consultants from 
GCC states  United States  
USPTO  30 July – 02 August 
2018 Training program on the 
Litigation on Intellectual 
Property right   
Strengthening Innovation Through Better IP Management   
In cooperation with WIPO  Public  Kuwait  
GCC IP Training 
Centre   9-10 October  2018 Workshop on Strengthening 
Innovation Through Better 
IP Management in the GCC 
Region  
 
 
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