RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/ACC/SAM/13 
6 October 2009 
 
 (09-4766) 
Working Party on the Accession 
of Samoa Original:   English 
 
 
  
ACCESSION OF SAMOA  
 
Action Plan for the Implementation of the WTO Agreement on 
 
Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)  
  
 The following submission, dated 23 September 2009, is being circulated at the request of the Government of Samoa. 
 
 
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  WT/ACC/SAM/13 
Page 2  
 
  Table 12:  Action Plan for the Implementation of the TRIPS Agreement (September  2009)
 
 
Action Timeframe and Comments 
Working Party review of draft legislation necessary for 
conformity with the Agreement. 
 
Draft IP Law: 
 
1. Patents Act; 2. Trademarks Act; and 
3. Industrial Property Act. 
  
 
Other Draft Law:  
1. Customs Amendment Bill to repeal section 132 and 
 Border Protection Measures Prior to Accession. 
 
 
WIPO has undertaken to provide technical 
assistance to develop IP Policy for Samoa 
in early 2010. Assistance has also been sought from 
Australia to review and modernise the 
Patents Act, Trademarks Act and the Industrial Property Act and to ensure 
compliance with WTO requirements.  
  
Submit to Parliament no later than 
July 2010. 
Passage of above legislatio n by Parliament December 2010. 
Provisions of the Agreement that Samoa can implement as from 
accession and the provisions that it will implement during the 
transitional period. 
 Provisions to be implemented during the transitional period 
Part II Articles 9-14. 
  
Section 3:  Article 22. 
 
 
Section 4:  Article 25, Article 26.  
 
Section 5:  Article 27 (1), Article 29.  
Provisions to be implemented as from accession: 
- Section 2:  Article 16 (2), 16 (3); - Article 19, 20, 21; 
- Section 5: Articles 27 (2), (3); and 
- Articles 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 39-64.   
 
 
 Establishment of a Collective mechanism 
to administer rights of Authors – 
July 2010.  
Enforcement of GI Legislation July 2010. 
 
 
Enforcement of Industrial Property Legislation -July 2010. 
 
Patents - July 2010. 
Establishment of Intellectual Property (IP) WTO Office responsible e.g. for implementing transparency provisions of the 
TRIPS Agreement. 
 The IP Registry is located at the Ministry 
of Commerce, Industry and Labour. 
Hiring of personnel.  Obtaining facilities and equipment.  (For the IP/WTO unit located in the IP Registry, at the Ministry of 
Commerce, Industry and Labour). Hiring ongoing. 
Establishment of implementing regulations December 2010. 
Development of manuals and operating procedures.  Printing of 
necessary material.  July 2011. 
Training of at least 15 offici als, customs officers and private 
sector people as well as educators in TRIPS issues.  
 Training of Police Officers. 
 
Capacity Building for IP Officials.  September 2011. 
 
 September 2011. 
 
August 2011.   WT/ACC/SAM/13 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Awareness programmes on the agreement for the members of 
the public.  
Computerisation of IP Office. 
  
Training of staff. July 2010. 
  
Commenced in July 2 009 and expected to 
be tested and go live by January 2010.  
Commenced in July 2009 and ongoing. 
Readiness to participate in regional IP administrative 
cooperation.  (Collective management for copyright, regional 
system for patents and trademarks).  As soon as these Pacific regional 
mechanisms are established. 
Membership in the Berne and Paris Conventions. Berne Convention - effective on 
21 July 2006.  
Paris Convention – 1 July 2012. 
Full implementation No later than January 2013. 
 
 
  
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