WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  IP/C/W/476/Add.1 
3 October 2006 
 
 (06-4720) 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights Original:  English 
 
 
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES 
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS 
 
JAPAN 
 
Addendum  
  
 The following communication, dated 29 September 2006, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Japan. 
_______________ 
  
I. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL 
PROPERTY RIGHTS 
A. V
OLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS FOR WIPO  FUNDS -IN-TRUST /JAPAN  
1. Since 1987, the Government of Japan (GOJ) has been providing voluntary contributions in 
the field of industrial property to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).  The "WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" (FIT/JP) in the field of i ndustrial property was established with these voluntary 
funds. The FIT/JP is used annually to finance various projects for WIPO member States in the 
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Paci fic (ESCAP), such as the holding of IP office 
conferences or symposia, acceptance of trainees and IPR research students, dispatch of Japan Patent Office (JPO) officials and support for the automation and modernization of IP offices.  The voluntary 
fund for the Japanese fiscal year (FY) 2005 amounts to ¥178.21 million. 
B. H
UMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT  
1. Training Programme 
2. In order to support developing countries obligated  to implement the TRIPS Agreement, Japan 
has been receiving trainees from these countries.   Between April 1996 and March 2006, Japan 
received 2,287 trainees in both th e public and private sector from primarily 42 countries and one 
economy in the Asia-Pacific region.  In the future, with the goal of the efficient implementation of 
laws in mind, Japan is scheduled to proceed w ith human resource development activities emphasizing 
the area of enforcement of intellectual property rights. 
(a) Training programmes for government officials 
3. The JPO has been holding group training courses about industrial property rights for 
government officials.  In FY 2005, the following six group training courses were held: IP/C/W/476/Add.1 
Page 2  
 
   For APEC member economies 
 
 - "Group Training Course in Intellectual Property for APEC Economies" is a one-
month course for administrative official s working in areas related to IPR and 
examiners of IPR.  Trainees are divided into four groups according to their 
specialities:  administration, patents,  industrial designs, and trademarks. 
  - "IP Enforcement Workshop for Indonesian Officials" is a two-week course for police, 
customs and civil servant investigator (PPN S: DGIPR) engaged mainly in the field of 
intellectual property in Indonesia. 
 
4. These training courses are implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency 
(JICA) in cooperation with the JPO and the Asia-P acific Industrial Property Center (APIC) of the 
Japan Institute of Inve ntion and Innovation (JIII). 
 For the ESCAP region 
 
 - "Training Course on the Enforcement of IPR under WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a 
two-week course for senior officials e ngaged in the enforcement of IPR in 
enforcement-related government agencies. 
  - "Training Course on the Use of Information Technology in IP Administration under 
WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a two-week c ourse for senior officials of IP offices 
responsible for information technology matters. 
  - "Training Course on the Examination Prac tices of Industrial Property under WIPO 
Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a three-week cour se for examiners in the field of IPR.  
Trainees are divided into three groups acco rding to their specialities:  patents, 
industrial designs, and trademarks. 
  - "Training Course on Industrial Property Administration under WIPO 
Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a two-week course fo r senior officials in IP offices in charge 
of general administration and policy planning. 
 
5. These four training courses are organized by the WIPO and managed by the JPO in 
cooperation with the APIC of JIII. 
(b) Training programmes for the private sector 
6. The JPO has also been holding the following group training courses on industrial property 
rights for trainees from the private sector: 
 - "JPO/IPR Training Course for Chinese Patent Experts" 
 
 Trainees of this three-week course include patent practitioners in private businesses, 
IP lawyers, patent attorneys, and persons e ngaged in patent work within organizations 
such as those disseminating and encouraging patent use and knowledge in China. 
 
 - "JPO/IPR Training Course for Lawyers"  
 Trainees of this three-week course include patent attorneys and/or IP lawyers, 
Corporate employees engaged as liaisons for legal affairs dealing with license  IP/C/W/476/Add.1 
 Page 3 
 
 
  agreements and infringement of rights , among other things, and judges and/or 
prosecutors. 
  - "JPO/IPR Training Course for IP Trainers"  
 Trainees of this three-week course are  employees at universities or research 
institutions involved in education on the intellectual property system and those 
engaged in the dissemination of the IP R in IP promotional organization. 
  - "JPO/IPR Training Course for Advanced IP Practitioners" 
 
 Trainees of this three-week course incl ude IP practitioners in private businesses, 
patent attorneys, IP lawyers, and employees at patent/law offices, and persons undertaking guidance of business at IP promotional organizations. 
 
 - "JPO/IPR Training Course for Chinese IP Practitioners" 
 
 Trainees of this three-week course incl ude IP practitioners in private businesses, 
patent attorneys, IP lawyers, and employees at patent/law offices, and persons undertaking guidance of business at IP promotional organizations in China. 
 
 - "JPO/IPR Training Course for Patent Experts" 
 
 Trainees of this three-week course include patent practitioners in private businesses, 
patent attorneys and IP lawyers, and pe rsons engaged in patent work within 
organizations such as those disseminating and encouraging patent use and knowledge. 
 
7. These training courses are managed by the JPO in cooperation with the APIC of JIII and the 
Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS). 
2. Long-term Fellowship 
8. Under the long-term fellowship project funde d by WIPO FIT/JP, two trainees, one from 
Viet Nam and one from China, were invited to Japan  in FY 2005 to study intellectual property issues 
for a period of six months.  In FY 2005, the JPO ac cepted two trainees as the long-term fellowship, 
one from China and one from Thailand, for a bout six months under an independent project. 
3. Seminar on Intellectual Property Rights for Alumni Association Members 
9. The JPO suggests to the trainees that an alumni association be established to help disseminate 
information on IP systems in their home countri es and to keep the members of the association 
informed of current IP developments.  The JP O will conduct a follow-up seminar in various Asian 
countries for those who have completed a training pr ogramme in order to sustain the fruits of the 
training programmes and contribute to  human resources development.  
10. When the JPO receives a request from an alumni  association to assist them in conducting an 
IP seminar, we provide them with the following t ypes of assistance:  financial assistance to meet the 
cost of holding the seminar, and the disp atching of Japanese speak ers to the event.  
11. In FY 2005, Alumni Association Seminars were held in Viet Nam, the Philippines, Thailand, 
Indonesia, and Malaysia. IP/C/W/476/Add.1 
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  4. Seminar on Intellectual Property Righ ts for IP-Enforcement Staff Members 
12. The JPO has been holding enforcement semina rs as a training programme for developing 
countries.  The enforcement seminar in China was aimed at developing human resources engaged in 
IPR enforcement and supporting relevant enlightenment and dissemination of IPR systems in China.  The seminar programme included basic lectures on IPRs, the importance of protecting IPRs, and 
information exchange. 
13. In FY 2005, the seminar was held in China in January to March 2005. 
5. Expert missions 
14. Experts and seminar instructors specializing in various areas of IPRs are dispatched by the 
JPO through WIPO FIT/JP and JICA mainly for peri ods of about two weeks.  The dispatched experts 
mainly provide on-site in struction regarding examination practices, computerization and so forth. 
15. JICA also dispatches JPO officials as long-term e xperts in order to engage in JICA technical 
cooperation projects being implemented in the IP office of the respective recipient countries and as individual experts on intellectual property right administration. 
16. In FY 2005, four experts were dispatched under the WIPO scheme and eight experts were 
dispatched under the JICA scheme (long-term:  three persons /short-te rm:  five persons). 
6. Symposia 
17. Major symposia, etc., in FY 2005 funded by the WIPO FIT/JP are as shown below: 
Title Venue/Date Theme Participants 
WIPO Asia-Pacific 
Regional Symposium Malaysia 
September 2005 Protection and 
Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) 40 participants from 
23 Asia and the Pacific Countries and local participants  
WIPO National Seminar Nepal 
November 2005 Trademarks as a Tool 
for Development and the Use of the Madrid 
System in Enhancing 
Economic Competitiveness 70 local participants 
WIPO High Level Forum 
 Japan  
January  2006 Intellectual Property 
Policy and Strategy 70 participants from 
36 countries of the area of Asia and the Pacific and others 
WIPO National Seminar Cambodia 
March 2006 The Use of Intellectual 
Property in Enhancing the Competitiveness of Cambodian Industry and 
Business  40 local participants 
  IP/C/W/476/Add.1 
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  C. COMPUTERIZATION AND INFORMATION PROCESSING  
1. Modernization of Industrial Property Administration Project in the Philippines 
18. The JPO carried out technology transfer and human resource development for modernization 
of industrial property right administrative proce dures of the IP Office of the Philippines from 
May 1999 to May 2003, through establis hing the database, the system applicable to the old law, PCT 
and patent administrative procedure.  Since N ovember 2004, the follow-up cooperation for this 
project has been carried out. 
2. Utilization of Intellectual Property Information in Viet Nam 
19. The JPO carried out the "Modernization of Industrial Property Administration Project in 
Viet Nam", a four-year project for the modernizat ion of administrative procedure at the National 
Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam from Ap ril 2000 to June 2004.  This project was aimed at 
developing human resources through the automation of administrative work.  Since January 2005, the 
second phase of the project ("Utilization of Intellectual Property Information in Viet Nam") has been carried out.  Through the utilization of the IP In formation System, efficient application processing, 
management, and information services of intellect ual property will be available in Viet Nam. 
3. Support for Utilization of Information Tec hnology through JICA Development Studies 
in Malaysia 
20. The JPO also carries out development studies in cooperation with JICA.  In Malaysia, JICA 
industrial development study including establishing a computerized industrial design administration 
system, which started in July 2002, was completed in February 2005.   
21. In Indonesia, JICA study on intellectual prope rty rights administration through the utilization 
of information and communication technology w as launched in June 2005 and has been under way 
ever since. 
4. Provision of the "Patent Abstracts of Japan (PAJ)" on CD-ROM 
22. Since 1995, the JPO has been providing about 85 national offices and other organizations all 
over the world with the PAJ, which is a collectio n of abstracts of Japanese patent applications 
translated into English, on CD-ROM. 
5. Project to Publish (in English and Japanese) the Industrial Property Laws and 
Regulations in Effect in Various Countries. 
23. In order to assist IP offices in developing c ountries in which domestic laws on intellectual 
property rights are being established, the JPO has been  engaged in the "Project to Assist in Gathering 
Information Related to Overseas Industrial Propert y Right Systems".  Under this programme, laws 
and regulations related to the industrial property rights of major developed and developing countries 
are translated into English, if necessary, and from 1997 to 2003, they were published as CD-ROMs 
equipped with searchable indexes. 
24. As of 2004, the JPO has posted the laws and re gulations of various countries and regions on 
the website of the JPO.  
  IP/C/W/476/Add.1 
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  D. A
SSISTANCE IN SEARCH AND EXAMINATION  
WIPO/State-of-the-Art Searches for Developing Countries  
25. The JPO provides search reports for which prio r art search was requested by IP offices or 
research institutes of developing countries through the WIPO. 
26. The JPO created search reports on approximately  100 applications per year from FY 1998 and 
sent them to requesting developing countries through the WIPO. 
II. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF COPYRIGHT 
27. The Japan Copyright Office (JCO) has been  planning and carrying out the following 
programmes with a view to contributing to the de velopment of copyright systems in developing 
countries as well as to strengthening regional cooperation among Asia-Pacific countries. 
A. APACE  PROGRAMME  
28. This programme, which is called "APACE (Asi a-Pacific Copyright Systems Enhancement) 
Programme", was started in 1993 in cooperation with  WIPO, targeting Asia-Pacific countries.  The 
APACE Programme consists of the following six activities: 
1. Annual Regional Symposium (since 1993) 
Year Venue Participants 
2003 Jakarta, Indonesia 120 participants from 23 countries 
2004 New Delhi, India 100 participants from 20 countries 
2005 Hangzhou, China 70 participants from 15 countries 
2006 Yogyakarta, Indonesia 70 participants from 16 countries  
 
2. Training Programme in Tokyo, Japan (since 1994) 
Year Participants 
2002 10 trainees from Brunei Darussalam, China, Fiji, Lao People's Democratic Republic, 
Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2003 12 trainees from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao People's 
Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, th e Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and 
Viet Nam  
2004 9 trainees from Bhutan, Indonesia, Islami c Republic of Iran, Mongolia, Nepal, 
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa and Viet Nam 
2005 9 trainees from Bhutan, Cambodia, Chin a, Malaysia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and  
Viet Nam  
 
3. Experts Missions (since 1999) 
29. This programme was started in 1999, in order to assist the countries in developing and 
strengthening infrastructure for the protection and management of copyright and neighbouring rights. 
Year Venue 
2002 Fiji 
2003 Indonesia, Mongolia and Viet Nam 
2004 Sri Lanka  IP/C/W/476/Add.1 
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  4. Training on Collective Management 
30. This programme was started in 2000.  It is an  on-the-job training for staffs of collective 
management organizations or governme nt officials in developing countries. 
Year Country 
2002 Bhutan, China, Fiji, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam 
2003 Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic 
Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, Viet Nam, and Myanmar 
2004 Fiji, India, Islamic Republic of Ira n, Mongolia, Nepal, PNG and Sri Lanka 
2005 India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand 
 
5. National Seminar on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights 
31. This programme was started in 2000, in order to promote awareness of the protection of 
copyright and neighbouring rights, and the role it can play in cultural and economic development of 
developing countries. 
Year Venue 
2002 Fiji 
2003 Mongolia and Nepal 
2004 Sri Lanka  
2005 Mongolia and Myanmar  
 
B. ASIAN COPYRIGHT EXPERTS INVITATION PROGRAMME  
32. This programme was started in 1996 to invite each  year a high official in charge of copyright 
from governments of Asian countries.  Lecture and discussion meetings are organized, inviting 
Japanese experts, to share information and learn fro m each other.  The guests have been invited from 
the following countries. 
Year Country 
2002 China 
2003 China 
 
C. ASIA-PACIFIC COPYRIGHT AND NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS SEMINAR  
33. This programme was started in 1997, to pr ovide participating copyright experts of 
Asia-Pacific countries with opportunities to ex change information and viewpoints as well as to 
discuss possible regional common positions and/or ac tions in the future.  It was organized in 
cooperation with APEC in 2001. 
Year Venue Participants 
2002 Tokyo, Japan 90 participants from 26 countries and 3 NGOs 
2003 Tokyo, Japan 90 participants from 13 countries (ASEAN + 3 members) 
2004 Tokyo, Japan 90 participants from 12 countries (ASEAN + 3 members) 
2005 Tokyo, Japan 100participants from 10 countries (ASEAN+3 members) 
2006 Tokyo, Japan 100participants from 9 countries (ASEAN+3 members) 
 IP/C/W/476/Add.1 
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  D. JICA
 GROUP TRAINING COURSE  
34. This JICA training course started in 1998 in cooperation with JCO, to contribute to the 
copyright systems development. 
Year Participants 
2002 7 trainees from Cambodia, China, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Saudi Arabia and Viet Nam 
2003 6 trainees from Bhutan, Fiji, Indonesia, Myanmar, Panama and Zambia 
2004 7 trainees from China, Fiji, Ghana, Malaysia, Panama, Thailand and Zambia 
2005 7 trainees from China, Colombia, Indonesi a, Malawi, Panama, Peru and Thailand 
2006 6 trainees from Bangladesh, China, Ind onesia, Mexico, Myanmar and Panama  
 
III. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF PLANT 
VARIETY PROTECTION 
35. Through the UPOV Trust Fund of Japan, the GOJ  has supported a programme which provides 
Asian countries with seminars and workshops  on plant variety protection systems. 
36. National Seminars have been held since FY  1991 for the purpose of contributing to the 
promotion and establishment of the plant variety pr otection systems.  The Asian Regional Technical 
Meeting scheme has been held sin ce Japanese FY 2000, in order to provide some practical knowledge 
and technique relating to the plant variety protec tion, as well as to promote regional cooperation in 
variety testing. 
37. Details of the National Seminars and the As ian Regional Technical Meetings which have 
been held are as follows: 
National Seminars  
 
Year Venue 
2002 Viet Nam and Cambodia 
2003 Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapor e and Lao People's Democratic Republic 
2004 China, Malaysia 
2005 Viet Nam, Thailand, Indonesia 
2006 Kyrgyz 
 
Asian Regional Technical Meeting  
 
Year Venue Participants 
2002 Republic of 
Korea 19 participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic  Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, 
Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2003 Philippines 17 participants from Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democra tic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, 
Myanmar, Nepal, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and 
Viet Nam 
2004 Viet Nam 22 participants from Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democra tic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, 
Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand  IP/C/W/476/Add.1 
 Page 9 
 
 
  Year Venue Participants 
Singapore 20 participants from Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democra tic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, 
Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand 2005 
Iran 40 participants form Afghanistan , Azerbaijan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, 
Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan 
Tajikistan (It is scheduled to hold in September) 2006 
Malaysia (It is scheduled to hold in November) 
 
A. JICA  GROUP TRAINING COURSE  
38. This JICA training course was started in 2000 in  cooperation with NCSS (National Center for 
Seed and Seedling) to contribute to the establis hment of breeder's rights protection systems. 
Year Participants 
2002 
 10 trainees from Bolivia, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, 
the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2003 10 trainees from Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, 
the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2004 11 trainees from Argentine, Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Kenya, Malaysia (2), 
the Philippines, Mauritius, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2005 7 trainees from Argentine, China, Kenya(2) , the Philippines, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe 
2006 9 trainees from Brazil, China, India, Mala ysia, Mexico, Nepal, Paraguay, Senegal and 
Thailand 
 
IV. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF BORDER 
MEASURES 
39. The Ministry of Finance of the GOJ has provide d a training course, expert mission and APEC 
workshops on the TRIPS Agreement in the fiel d of border measures for the enforcement of 
intellectual property rights.  The main purpose of these programmes is to assist in the smooth 
implementation of the TRIPS Agreement by custom s officials in developing countries in the Asia-
Pacific region.  Details of these programmes since FY 2002 are as follows: 
Training Course  
 
Year Venue Participants 
2002 Japan 10 participants from Cambodia, Ch ina, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic 
Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Viet Nam. 
2003 Japan 18 participants from Cambodia, Ch ina, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic 
Republic, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. 
2004 Japan 18 participants from Cambodia, Ch ina, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic 
Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam 
2005 Japan 16 participants from Cambodia, Ch ina, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic 
Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam  
 IP/C/W/476/Add.1 
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  Expert Mission
 
 
Year Venue 
2002 Indonesia, Vietnam  
2003 Philippines 
2004 China, Indonesia 
2005 Malaysia, Philippines 
 
APEC Workshops on the TRIPS Agreement  
 
Year Venue 
2003 Papua New Guinea 
2005 Thailand 
 
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