IP/C/W/593/Add.5  
 
4 October 2013  
(13-5372)  Page: 1/4  
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English  
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES: 
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS  
SWITZERLAND  
Addendum 
The following communication, dated 30 September 2013, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Switzerland.  
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 1.1.  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 Septem ber 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 September 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, and IP/C/W/582/Add.4  of 
25 October 2012, in which much of the description of the aims and organizational aspects of 
technical cooperation remains relevant, this report describes the activities of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (hereafter "the Institute") in the field of technical cooperation 
between 1 September 2012 and 31 August 2013.
1 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 avoidi ng duplication or overlapping of programmes. 
1  MULTILATERAL ACTIVITIES - TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE 
WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION (WIPO) 
1.1.  Participation of Representatives of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual 
Property as Speakers in Work shops (Co-)Organized by WIPO 
 An expert from the Institute conducted approx. 100 hours distance learning training 
("advanced course on patent information search") at the WIPO Academy (between 
October 2012 – November 2012). 
 An expert from the Institute lectured at the WIPO Summer School on the topic "IP as a 
business asset/IP valuation, a practical approach" (July 2013). 
1.2  WIPO-IPI Advanced Training Programme on Industrial Property for Policy Makers 
1.2.  A representative from the Industrial Prop erty Office of the Republic of Mauritius and a 
representative from the Department of Patents,  Designs and Trademarks of the Republic of 
Bangladesh were trained at the Institute according to a specifically designed programme. They 
                                               
1 Unless otherwise indicated. IP/C/W/593/Add.5 
 
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  obtained a thorough introduction into the work of the Institute in the areas of patents, industrial 
designs, trademarks, copyright, traditional know ledge and biodiversity, political services and 
international cooperation (10-28 June 2013). 
1.3  Free-of-Charge Searches for WIPO in Favour of Developing Countries 
1.3.  Since 1987, the Institute 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 
Institute has been participating in the "International Cooperation on Examination (ICE)" part of 
WPIS.  The Institute 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 raise patent 
quality in the patent system. 
1.4.  Between 1 September 2012 and 31 August 20 13, the Institute conducted, at the request of 
WIPO, free-of-charge searches for the following countries: 
 
Country  Number of 
searches  
ICE-Searches:   
Madagascar  2 
Jordan  5 
Kenya 3 
Cambodia  2 
South Africa  1 
WPIS-Searches:   
South Africa  1 
Total 14 
 
2  BILATERAL ACTIVITIES 
2.1  Bangladesh 2.1.  The Bangladeshi – Swiss Intellectual Property Project (BSIP) was approved by Switzerland in 
2011 and has since then been ready to be launc hed. Final approval of the Project by the 
Bangladeshi authorities is pending. 
2.2  China 2.2.  A delegation from the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China was 
welcomed at the Institute and introduced to the Swiss intellectual property system in June 2013. 
2.3  Colombia 2.3.  The Colombian–Swiss Intellectual Property Project (COLIPRI) started early 2013. The overall 
goals of the project are higher competitiveness of and more value added to Colombian products, 
as well as to contribute to Colombia’s social and economic development. The two direct beneficiaries of COLIPRI are the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC), and the Ministerio del Interior (MinInt) of Colombia. Besides the general project inception process, the 
following activities have been undertaken so far: IP/C/W/593/Add.5 
 
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   Strategy workshops to define the new vision of  the IP Unit of the SIC, including the new 
challenges from the National Action Plan (June – August 2013). 
 Strategy workshop to define the new vision of the Patent Unit of the SIC, including the new 
challenges from the National Action Plan (June – August 2013). 
 Strategy workshop for "Banco de Patentes", with a focus on identifying high-potential 
innovators and target groups, and deciding on how to reach them, what to offer them and how to create the capacity to provide services to them (June – August 2013). 
 Strategy workshop for the IP Academy, with a focus on identifying high-potential innovators 
and target groups, and determining how to reach them, what to offer them, how to create the teaching capacity in the regions, an d how to find network partners (June – 
August 2013). 
 Evaluation of the needs of the key players and the institutional potential regarding a 
Colombian technology transfer system (May – August 2013). 
 Workshops to create a national technology tr ansfer strategy and to define the roles and 
preconditions for a technology transfer system (June – August 2013). 
 Training of three key persons at a two-week international training on Geographical 
Indications (InterGI) (May 2013). 
2.4  Ghana 
2.4.  The cooperation project "Strengthening the In tellectual Property Rights in Ghana" started in 
2009 and was finalized in July 2013.  The possibility of launching a second phase of the project is currently being explored. The focus of the second phase would be on supporting the private sector 
to commercialize its intellectual property rights and on establishing a National Intellectual Property 
Institution in Ghana. During the reporting interval, the following activities were undertaken as part of the finalised project: 
 In the context of the establishment of a Nation al Intellectual Property Office, three one-week 
workshops took place in Accra (October  and December 2012, February 2013). The 
elaborated implementation plan consisting of 85 actions was adopted by the National 
Intellectual Property Committee, established at the beginning of the now finalized project. 
 The Training Manual “Intellectual Property Rights for Judges,” which is based on the results 
of a previously conducted evaluation stud y on training needs, was elaborated in 
collaboration with a Ghanaian consultant. The draft training manual was reviewed by the 
Institute (April 2013). 
 A two-day training for 14 Judges of the superior courts was conducted in collaboration with 
the Ghanaian Judicial Institute in Accra (June 2013). 
 A two-day workshop for a Parliamentary Commission on the topic "Introduction into the 
Plant Breeders Variety and Geographical Indications Laws" took place in Accra (June 2013). 
2.5  Indonesia 
2.5.  The Indonesian-Swiss Intellectual Property  Project (ISIP) started early 2012. During the 
reporting period, the following activities were conducted: 
 The ISIP funded and organised the participatio n of three Indonesian IP officials in the 
WTI/CUHK IP Summer Programme 2013 (July 2013). 
 An expert from the Institute conducted an expert  review of the existing legislation on GIs in 
Indonesia, including a workshop to discuss findings with key stakeholders (March 2013). IP/C/W/593/Add.5 
 
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   In cooperation with the Danish Patent office, a training course for patent examiners on 
chemistry was organised and financed by the ISIP project (April 2013). 
 A mission was carried out by an expert from the Institute to conduct an analysis of current 
activities in the field of public education and awareness rising (PE&A) in IP. The findings will 
serve as basis for the development of a strategy on PE&A (November 2012). 
 A study on the potential of different GI supply chains was conducted. The study served as 
basis for the selection of four supply chains which will be supported by the ISIP project 
during the GI registration and implementation process (October 2012 to March 2013). 
 As a first step to support the above mentioned four supply chains, an in-depth analysis is 
currently being conducted by four master students from Europe and Indonesia in the framework of their master theses. 
2.6  Tajikistan 
2.6.  Following a request from the Tajik Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and from the 
National Center for Patents and Information, a project planning mission to Dushanbe was 
conducted in October 2012. The related project proposal was developed in close cooperation with 
the Tajik partners. The Tajik-Swiss Intellectual Property Project (TSIP) is a three-year project with a budget of one million Swiss Francs. It aims at st rengthening the Tajik intellectual property rights 
system in line with the requirements of the TR IPS Agreement. The technical support will be 
provided at three levels by combining: a) capacity building at the policy level; b) supporting IP offices to better serve IPR clients; and c) promoting IPRs among key target users. 
2.7.  The implementation of the first activities is  in the planning phase, while the signature of the 
project agreement is yet to be formalized. The firs t joint event under the project is foreseen to be 
conducted in December 2013. 
2.7  Lao PDR 
2.8.  In January 2011, the Institute started im plementing the Swiss-Lao Intellectual Property 
Project (LIPP). The overall objective of this projec t is to contribute to the strengthening of Lao 
PDR's IPR system towards compliance with the TRIPS Agreement, in order to improve the 
country's access to international markets. Lao PDR completed its accession to the WTO on 
2 February 2013. During the reporting interval, the following activities were undertaken: 
 The LIPP project organised and funded the participation of two Laotian IP officials in the 
WTI/CUHK IP Summer Programme 2013 (July 2013). 
 Two missions of an expert from the Institute to provide six one-day regional basic seminars 
in IP for governmental officials and SMEs were conducted (October 2012 and June 2013). 
 The establishment of a new website of Lao PDR’s IP Office was supported (June 2013). 
 In the framework of a cooperation between Viet  Nam and Lao PDR, two study visits to the 
NOIP in Hanoi for high-level policy makers and key staff of Lao PDR’s IP Office were 
supported. 
 Attachment trainings in Hanoi (in cooperation with Viet Nam) of a total of 27 officials of the 
Lao PDR’s IP Office (copyright, trademarks, an d patents) and the Ministry of Agriculture 
(geographical indications, protection of plant varieties) were supported. 
 
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