Minutes - TRIPS Council - View details of the intervention/statement

H.E. Ambassador Dr. Walter Werner
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
11   TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING
305.   I would like first to thank you for allowing me to present the main technical cooperation activities undertaken by the Secretariat General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) which are relevant to the intellectual property issues and to highlight more specifically those activities aimed at enhancing awareness on IP issues, performing patent-related activities, understanding some aspects of dispute resolution when it comes to intellectual property rights, as well as contributing to strengthening innovation. These activities are organized in mutual cooperation among the GCC Patent Office, GCC national patent offices, WIPO as well as with partners from other national IP offices. They are conducted either in the form of specialized workshops, on-job training or secondment at national IP offices. 306.   As part of its leading role in developing an effective regional patent system and in implementing GCC Patent Law, the GCC Patent Office continues to intensify its activities on technical assistance aimed among others at enhancing the capacity of GCC national patent offices to contribute to patent enforcement and the improvement of the IP environment in general in GCC Members. 307.   In order to contribute to enhancing awareness on IP issues, the GCC Patent Office has actively participated in IP day celebration organized on 26 April 2018 respectively at RabighSaudi Arabia King AbdulAziz University and Oman Scientific Research Council in Muscat, and on 29 April 2018 at the GCC-SG Headquarters in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The GCC Secretariat General has also organized a workshop at the GCC IP Training Centre in the State of Kuwait on 9 and 10 October 2018 with the objective of Strengthening Innovation through Better IP Management in the GCC Region. 308.   As for patent examination, the GCC Patent Office has conducted during the last quarter of 2017 six on-job trainings at the State of Kuwait IP Office for the benefit of the examiners of that office during a period of ten to twenty days for each training. These activities have focused on a substantive examination of all patent applications filed at the State of Kuwait IP Office. Another onjob training on the same issue was conducted for the benefit of Bahraini examiners in two phases at Bahrain national IP Office respectively on 12–19 and 19–26 November 2017. The third on-job training on patent examination was organized with cooperation of SIPO (Chinese IP Office) at the GCC headquarters in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 19 November to 18 December 2017 with the participation of examiners from the GCC Patent Office and GCC national IP offices. 309.   On the same topic, a four days specialized workshop on strategic examination procedures was organized during the first week of November 2017 at the GCC IP Training Centre (the State of Kuwait) in cooperation with USPTO (the United States Patent Office) for the benefit of examiners from GCC PO and GCC national IP offices. Another workshop was conducted during the last week of January 2018 on PCT National Phase Examination and Utilization of External Examination work products at the GCC headquarters for the benefit of the same participants in cooperation with WIPO and EPO (European Patent Office). 310.   On other aspects of patent, a Workshop on classification, analysis, and search of patent applications by KIPO (Korean IP Office) was organized at the GCC headquarters in Riyadh from 20 to 23 November 2017 for the benefit of Specialists from the GCC Patent Office and GCC national IP offices in cooperation with WIPO, the State of Kuwait National IP Office and KIPO. 311.   On the IT aspects of patent, an on-job training was organized at Oman national IP office with the participation of IT experts from that office during the period 1–3 July 2018 focusing on utilizing GCC Patent Office E-Systems and re-designing such systems in conformity with Oman Patent Law. Another technical cooperation activity on IT aspects was conducted in the Kingdom of Bahrain for the benefit of Bahraini specialists aimed at working on developing electronic systems at the Bahrain IP Office and launching E-filing system by IT experts of the GCC Patent Office. 312.   On the IP dispute resolution aspects, a Conference on arbitration in the field of IP was organized on 23 December 2017 at the State of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce & Industry with the participation of specialists from GCC Members and in cooperation with WIPO, the State of Kuwait Commercial Arbitration Centre and GCC IP Training Centre. In cooperation among the GCC IP Training Centre and the USPTO, a Training programme was conducted on the litigation on intellectual property rights at the USPTO (United States) from 30 July to 2 August 2018 with the participation of judges and consultants from GCC Members. 313.   With the objective of encouraging inventors in GCC Members, the GCC Patent Office grants a yearly award of SAR 50,000 for the top three GCC inventions on the occasion of International exhibition held annually in the State of Kuwait (28 to 31 January 2018) or any other GCC Member, as well as hosting and supporting the participation therein of inventors from GCC Members. For the same objective, the GCC Patent Office has also supported the hosting and participation of one inventor from each GCC Member in the International exhibition which takes place annually in different countries (Nuremberg, 2 to 5 November 2017). On the occasion of this event, the GCC Patent Office participates along with inventors from GCC Members to open up doors for communications with those concerned around the world.
The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
44.   The Chair recalled that in June 2018, the Council had agreed to hold the annual review of technical cooperation at the November meeting. Developed country Members had been requested to update information on their technical and financial cooperation activities relevant to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. Other Members who also made available technical cooperation were encouraged to share information on these activities. The Secretariat had issued an airgram on 5 July 2018 reminding Members of this request. Intergovernmental organizations observers to the Council and the Secretariat had also been invited to provide information.
45.   The Council had received information from the following developed country Members: United States of America, Switzerland, Australia, Japan and Canada. Their reports had been circulated in document IP/C/W/647 and addenda. Shortly before the meeting, the Council had also received the reports from New Zealand, as well as from the European Union and some of its member States, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Advance copies of both reports had been made available as room documents on documents online and would also be circulated as addenda to document IP/C/W/647.
46.   The following intergovernmental organizations had also submitted updated information: the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), World Health Organization (WHO), World Customs Organization (WCO), African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Their reports had been circulated in document IP/C/W/644/Rev.1 and addenda. Since the circulation of the revised draft agenda, information had also been received from UPOV, which would be made available shortly.
47.   Updated information on the Secretariat's own technical cooperation activities in the TRIPS area could be found in document IP/C/W/645.
48.   The representatives from Canada, Australia, Japan, the United States of America, Norway, the European Union, the Secretariat, the WHO, the GCC, UNCTAD, WIPO and ARIPO took the floor.
49.   The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
IP/C/M/90, IP/C/M/90/Add.1