IP/C/W/617/Add.2  
21 October  2016 
(16-5751) Page: 1/5 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property Rights  Original:  English  
 
  TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS  
SWITZERLAND  
Addendum  
The following communication, dated 14 October  2016, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Switzerland.  
 
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1.  Following documents IP/C/W/12/Add.3 of 1 3 September  1995, IP/C/W/34/Add.2 of 
17 September  1996, IP/C/W/77/Add.3 of 3 0 September  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 1 8 September  2001, IP/C/W /377/Add.9 of 
24 January  2003, IP/C/W/408/Add.4 of 1 4 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 1 4 September  2006, 
IP/C/W/496 of 2 8 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 2 0 October  2010, IP/C/W/560/Add.5 of 1 4 October  2011, 
IP/C/W/582/Add.4  of 25 October  2012, IP/C/W/593/Add.5 of 4 October  2013, IP/C/W/601 /Add. 4 
of 17 October  2014, and IP/C/W/610/Add.3  of 1 October  2015 in which muc h of the des cription of 
the aims and organiz ational aspects of technical cooperation remains relevant, this report 
describes the activities of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property  (hereafter "th e IPI") 
in the field of technical cooperation between 1  September  2015 and 3 1 August  2016.1 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 
coordinatio n of available resources, both at the multilateral and bilateral level, while avoiding 
duplication or the overlap of programmes.  
1  MULTILATERAL ACTIVITIES - TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE 
WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION (WIPO) AND WOR LD TRADE 
ORGANIZATION (WTO)  
1.1  Free-of-Charge Searches for WIPO in Favour of Developing Countries  
2.  Since 1987, the IPI has been participat ing 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 IPI 
has been  participat ing in the "International Cooperation on Examination (ICE)" part of WPIS . The 
IPI 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 application s in the 
beneficiary countries . The programme supports the national patent offices in building up their 
competencies in search and examination procedures and helps to strengthen the patent system 
and legal certainty worldwide.  
                                                
1 Unless otherwise indicated.  IP/C/W/617/Add.2  
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  3.  Between 1 September  2015 and 3 1 August  2016, the IPI conducted, at the request of WIPO, 
free-of-charge searches for the following cou ntries:  
 Country  Number of 
searches  
ICE-Searches:   
Jordan  3 
Kenya  1 
Madagascar  6 
WPIS -Searches:   
- - 
Total  10 
 
2  BILATERAL ACTIVITIES  
2.1  China  
4.  Two delegation s of government officials from the People 's Republic of  China (from Guangdong 
and Zhenjiang ) were welcomed at the IPI and introduce d to the Swiss system of intellectual 
property rights protection  during the reporting period.  
5.  A seminar on the role of intellectual property in the innovation process was held for a 
delegation of governmental official s, company managers and other private stakeholders from 
Heilongjiang at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland  in April 2016. 
2.2  Colombia  
6.  The Colombian –Swiss Intellectual Property Project (COLIPRI) started  in January  2013 and will 
last for four-and-a-half years . The overall goal s of the project are higher competitiveness, more 
value added to Colombian products and a positive impact on Colombia 's social and economic 
development . COLIPRI 's two main institutional partners and beneficiari es are the Delegatura de 
Propiedad Industrial at the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC) and the Ministerio del 
Interior of Colombia . COLIPRI is financed by the Swiss State Secretariat of Economy  (hereafter 
"the SECO "), the IPI serves as the exe cutive agency for the project . The following activities were 
undertaken within the reporting period : 
7.  Under component  A, "The SIC better serves the IPR users ": 
 Implement ing new workflows and processes and structural changes, in particular in the 
trade  mark division;  
 Coaching  the training division , Aula de Propiedad Intelectual (API) , in finding its role and 
becoming a separate  unit with a new strategy and specific goals ; and 
 Peer-to-peer exchange between the Swiss IP -Search Unit  and the Colombia n CIGEPI 
(Centro de Información Tecnológica y Apoyo a la Gestión de la Propiedad Industrial) on 
organiz ational processes, marketing and customer interaction, tools and databases.  
8.  Under component  B, "Increased knowledge and technology transfer in selected sectors ": 
 Providing s upport  in drafting a Knowledge and Technology Transfer  User's Guide, to be 
distributed in technology transfer offices and chambers of commerce . Providing 
consolidated input for national policy  on science, technology and innovation ; and 
 Establishing the first innovation cluster in Colombia in the tourism sector around the Río 
Magdalena (Magdalena Travesía Mágica), including four regional chambers of commerce . IP/C/W/617/Add.2  
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9.  Under  component C, "Any producer concerned can access and benefit from the GI legal and 
institutional framework ": 
 Providing expertise from n ational and international consultants for Colombia 's proposal 
on a reformulation of Andean Decision 486 for the Andean Community 's consideration;  
 Organi sing a tailor -made one -week seminar on geographical indications attended by  
30 representatives from the public sector, food and handicraft producers and social 
organisations ; 
 Providing o ngoing support to the Bocadillo veleño (guava paste) value chain for its future 
GI registration . Creation of the GI management  body, the Fedeveleños federation ; and 
 Providing o ngoing support to the national handicraft promotion agency , Artesanías de 
Colombia , on better protection for the handicraft sector with IP tools . Providing c oncrete 
support to handicraft communities on capi talising more on their GI or collective trade  
mark.  
10.  Under  component D , "The Colombian stakeholders identify possible elements for a national 
TK policy ": 
 Develop ing a stakeholder map and conducting an institutional diagnosis of the current 
status of traditi onal knowledge protection in Colombia ; and 
 Organi zing an experience -sharing seminar conducted by  indigenous representatives , 
during which they  provided their recommendations for a future traditional knowledge  
protection policy.  
2.3  Ghana  
11.  A joint cooperation proposal was elaborated and approved by the Swiss Government . This 
proposal is based on the results and lessons learnt during  the first phase of the cooperation 
project , "Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights in Ghana " 2009-2013 (SGIP I) . The 
second  phase of the  project  (SGIP II)  was officially launched in January  2016. SGIP I and II are 
financed by the SECO, the IPI serves as the executive agency for the project.  
12.  Selected goals and objectives of high relevance for Ghana to be achieved by SGIP II include : 
 An enabling IP environment is in place and improved services are provided to IP users ; 
 Research institutions and SMEs increasingly commerciali ze their IPRs ; 
 The protection and enforcement of IPRs are improved for higher economic benefits of 
rights holder s and for safeguarding consumers against substandard goods ; and 
 Legal protection and market access for high quality agricultural products and handicraft 
products are improved for the benefit of rural and artisanal communities . 
13.  The following activities were undertaken within the reporting period:  
 Presentation of the National Intellectual Property Strategy ; 
 Training for small and medium -sized businesses was conducted by a Swiss expert in 
April 2016 in the cities of Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi, Ghana ; and 
 Suppo rting activities on establishing the National Intellectual Property Office.  
 IP/C/W/617/Add.2  
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  2.4  Indonesia  
14.  The Indonesian -Swiss Intellectual Property Project (ISIP) started in early 2012  for a term of 
four years . The project came  to an end in June 2016 after an extension  of six months.  
15.  The last major activity was the National Seminar on Geographical Indications  (GI) and the GI 
Market Place in Jakarta  on 12-15 May 2016. The Seminar was the first of its kind to familiari se and 
sensitise  the general public and the relevant privat e sector with the concept and advantages of 
GIs. 
16.  The results of the final project evaluation were positive and a second phase of the project was 
highly recommended . ISIP-II was  approved by the Indonesian Directorate General of Intellectual 
Property  (DGIP) and the SECO  in July 2016. ISIP I and II are financed by SECO, the IPI serves as 
the executive agency for the project.  Based on the results and lessons learnt during the 
first phase, the second phase will focus on:  
 Providing s upport at policy level  for the protection and commerciali sation of intellectual 
property rights (IPRs) and the development of Indonesia 's creative economy;  
 Providing t echnical and capacity building assistance to the DGIP to better serve 
intellectual property rights (IPRs) users ; and 
 Providing s trategic support to sustainably increase the economic value of Indonesian GIs 
and to reinforce the capacity of GI producers associations.  
17.  The objective s respond  to a priority set by the Indonesian president  to strengthen Indonesia 's 
creative econo my sector . The ISIP project phase II was able to quickly respond to this demand 
and offer its expertise on IPR to support the process . The project is expected to start in the second 
half of 2016.  
2.5  Oman  
18.  A delegation of government  officials and representative s of the small and medium enterprise 
society  from Oman was welcomed at the IPI and received an introduction to Switzerland 's patent 
and trade  mark administration as well as the economics of intellectual property rights  in 
September  2015. 
2.6  Pakistan  
19.  A delegat ion of government officials from Pakistan was welcomed at the IPI and was 
introduced to the Swiss system of IP R management during the reporting period.  
2.7  Serbi a 
20.  The second phase of the Serbian -Swiss Intellectual Property Project (SSIP II) was approved . 
The objective of the project is to strengthen the use of intellectual property rights in Serbia in 
order to contribute to higher competitiveness, more value added to Serbian products and a 
positive impact on Serbia 's economic development.  
21.  The protection of geographical indications (GIs) is of particular interest to the government of 
Serbia . The cooperation between Serbia and Switzerland in the field of GIs began in 2009 . The 
SSIP II  builds upon the results of the previous phase.  
22.  Selected areas of high importance  to Serbia include:  
 Increasing the demand of IP users to protect and capitali se on their IPRs ; 
 Improving the legal and institutional framework as well as the enforcement of GIs in 
order to facilitate the economic and social benefits of producers and consum ers; and IP/C/W/617/Add.2  
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   Strengthening capacities for market valorisation of GI products to better market 
traditional products for the benefit of rural and artisanal communities . 
23.  During the reporting period, two planning missions took place . The implementation of the 
activities will start in October  2016. SSIP I and II are financed by the SECO, the IPI serves as the 
executive agency for the project.  
2.8  Tajikistan  
24.  Following a request from the Tajik Ministry of Economic Development and Trade  (MoEDT),  and 
from the National Cent re for Patent s and Information  (NCPI) , a project proposal was developed in 
close cooperation with Tajik partners  in 2012 . The Tajik -Swiss Intellectual Property Project (TSIP) 
had the goal of  strengthening the Tajik intellectual p roperty rights system in lin e with the 
requirements of the TRIPS Agreement . TSIP was financed by the SECO, the IPI served as the 
executive agency for the project . During the reporting period, the following activities were 
conducted:  
25.  Two tailor -made regional t raining  courses  on Tajik Copyright and Neighbouring Rights 
Legislation were conducted by a Tajik copyright expert for 44 participants in the Badakhshan 
Province (Khorog) and 60 participants in the Sughd Province (Khujand) in October and 
December  2015. The events brought together l ocal authorities, la w enforcement agencies, judges, 
audio -visual producers, media companies, publishing houses, software and hardware engineers 
and distributors.  
26.  The project ended by 30 June 2016. 
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