IP/C/W/617/Add.6  
28 October  2016 
(16-5921) Page: 1/3 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects of  
Intellectual Property Rights  Original:  English  
 
  TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS  
NEW ZEALAND  
Addendum  
The following communication, dated 26 October 2016, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of New Zealand.  
 
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1  INTRODUCTION  
1.  The Council for T rade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TR IPS) has requested 
reports from developed country Members on their technical and financial cooperation programmes 
in favour of developing and least developed country Members . 
2.  This document provides an updat e on New Zealand 's activities concerning technical and 
financial cooperation in the area of intellectual property (IP) , for the period from 1 July 2015 to 
30 June 2016. 
3.  This request relates to Article 67 of the TRIPS  Agreement which provides that "develope d 
country Members shall provide, on request and on mutually agreed terms and conditions, technical 
and financial cooperation in favour of developing and least developed country Members . Such 
cooperation  shall include assistance in the preparation of laws a nd regulations on the protection 
and enforcement of intellectual property rights as well as the prevention of their abuse, and shall 
include support regarding the establishment or reinforcement of domestic offices and agencies 
relevant to these matters, in cluding the training of personnel".  
2  GENERAL OVERVIEW OF NEW ZEALAND 'S TECHNICAL COOPERAT ION ACTIVITIES  
4.  New Zealand has undertaken technical cooperation activities at the multilateral, regional and 
bilateral  levels during the 2015 -2016 year. At the regional level, New Zealand 's bilateral and 
regional trade agreements provide a mechanism for policy dialogue and information exchange  on 
IP with developing country members . 
5.  The ASEAN -Australia -New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) has an Intellectual 
Property Committee, where  parties exchange information on  IP issues of mutual interest and 
coordinate  capacity building and technical assistance  programmes within the region.  New Zealand 
co-chaired the AANZFTA Intellectual Property Committee  meeting in August  2015 in Singapore . 
6.  The primary New Zealand Government agencies that are involved in IP technical cooperation 
activities are the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), of which both the 
Intellectual Property Office of New  Zealand ( IPONZ)  and Plant Variety Rights Office  are business 
units, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).  IP/C/W/617/Add.6  
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  3  THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERT Y OFFICE OF NEW ZEAL AND 
7.  The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) provides ongoing technical as sistance 
on request to developing and least developed countries.  New Ze aland will continue to support  
future work , on request,  to improve the intellectual property syst ems of Pacific Island c ountries . 
8.  At a regional level, IPONZ participates in practical tr aining and information exchange 
opportunities . In November  2015, for example , an IPONZ representative presented at an ASEAN 
subregional training programme on trade marks held in the Philippines.  
9.  IPONZ is recogniz ed for its efficient online services, high qu ality examination and registration 
processes . As a result,  IPONZ hosts regular delegations and study visits  from developing and least 
developed countries  to provide practical training and knowledge sharing . 
10.  This year IPONZ  was able to share our Madrid Prot ocol accession experience to help other 
offices with their operational preparations  for accession . IPONZ  hosted  the Malaysian Inte llectual 
Property Office  in August  2015 as well as the Directorate General of Intellectual Property of 
Indonesia  in November  2015. 
11.  IPONZ has a bilateral arrangement with the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of the 
People 's Republic of China and we meet yearly  as part of this arrangement . IPONZ  also hosts 
study visits where delegations gain a better understanding of IP management in New Zealand.  
4  THE PLANT VARIETY RIGHTS  OFFICE  
12.  New Zealand has been a member of the International Union for the Protection of New 
Varieties of Plants (UPOV) since 198 1. New Zealand, through the Pl ant Variety Rights Office , 
actively participates i n the UPOV Technical Committee and in some of the Technical Working  
Parties . 
13.  The IPONZ Plant Variety Rights team act s as advisor  to the East Asia Plant Variety Protection 
Forum . The team provides technical assistance by correspondence on request to Forum M embers  
and participates in technical meetings by invitation . 
14.  In May 2015, a representative from IPONZ Plant Variety Rights team was invited as an expert 
advisor and guest lecturer for the Plant Variety Prot ection and DUS Testing and International 
Training Course organiz ed and funded by Korea Overseas Investment and Cooperation Agency 
(KOICA).  
5  NEW ZEALAND MINISTRY  OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS A ND TRADE 'S INTERNATIONAL 
DEVELOPMENT GROUP  
15.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) manages the New Zealand Aid Progra mme.  
The majority of New Zealand 's aid is directed to developing and least developed country Members 
in the Pacific and key partners in Asia.  The New Zealand Aid Programme has a core focus on 
sustainable economic development.  This includes supporting oppor tunities for private -sector led 
growth so that producers can increase the value from their production and resources, including 
their intellectual property . Further detail on programmes of relevance to TRIPS Article 67 can be 
found in New Zealand 's report o n the implementation of Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement . 
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 IP/C/W/617/Add.6  
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  ANNEX1 
TABLE OF SPECIFIC AC TIVITIES BY NEW ZEALAND  
FOR THE PERIOD 1 JULY 2015 TO 3 0 JUNE 2016 
Category  Date  Location  Activity  
Technical advice and 
information exchange  May 2015 Seoul,  
South Korea  An IPONZ representative was a guest 
lecturer for the Plant Variety 
Protection and DUS  Testing Training 
Course organiz ed by Korea Overseas 
Investment and Cooperation Agency.  
Technical advice and 
information exchange  August  2015 Singapo re New Zealand was c o-chair of the 
AANZFTA Intellectual Property 
Committee.  
Practical training and 
information exchange  August  2015 Wellington,  
New Zealand  IPONZ hosted the Malaysian 
Intellectual Property Office (MyIPO) to 
help them with their accession to the 
Madrid Protocol . They spent two 
weeks attending training workshops 
on theory and practical aspects of 
international trade mark case 
management and examination.  
Information exchange  October  2015 Wellington,  
New Zealand  IPONZ hosted a guest from the  
IP Office of Vietnam as  part of a 
broader visit organiz ed by Victoria 
University of Wellington and MFAT.  
Practical training and 
information exchange  November  2015 Wellington,  
New Zealand  IPONZ also hosted the Directorate 
General of Intellectual Property of 
Indonesia on a study visit as part of 
their accession preparations to join 
the Madrid Protocol next year.  
Technical advice and 
information exchange  November  2015 Manila, 
Philippines  An IPONZ representative was a guest 
speaker at an ASEAN sub regional 
seminar on the Singapore Treaty on 
the Law of Trademarks.  
Information exchange  June 2016 Wellington,  
New Zealand  IPONZ hosted a v isit by the 
Intellectual Property Office of Yunnan 
Province, People 's Republic of China , 
to understand New Zealand patent 
process and copyright legislation.  
 
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1 In English only.