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

H.E. Ambassador Dr Walter Werner
United States of America
10 TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING
215.   The United States is pleased to co-sponsor this agenda item and contribute to the discussion of the Societal Value of IP in the New Economy – IP Improving Lives. Around the world, new technologies and vibrant creative endeavours are contributing to better outcomes for individuals and societies while increasing the quality of life. 216.   IP systems play a critical role. For instance, patent, regulatory data, and trade secret protections provide innovative risk-takers with the confidence needed to devote what may be years and millions of dollars into an endeavour that may or may not produce a return on investment. Copyright can serve as an engine for creativity, cultural preservation, and cross-border cultural exchange. Through advances in technologies, it has never been easier for societies around the world to interact, share music, movies, or writings, and lend their expertise to solve pressing problems far from home. 217.   During the last session of IP and Innovation, we shared information on how IP-intensive industries contribute to the economy of the United States. Today, we will explore the important contributions that innovations and creative content from these industries provides to societies and individuals around the world. Creative industries 218.   Creative industries are helping to unite populations and contribute to cross-cultural exchange around the world through the combination of robust IP protection, trade networks, and technological advances. This includes music, television programmes, books, games, films, fashion, and more. 219.   For these and other products and services, technologies have increased the market for these cultural goods, which helps create jobs in a broad number of direct and indirect industries. For example, each successful film or television programme creates opportunities for not only directors and actors, but also costume designers, makeup artists, advertising professionals, lawyers, and more. 220.   As legitimate platforms to distribute content continue to flourish, the opportunity to access these products grows. As we examine this topic, the music industry provides a multi-faceted example. Music brings people together, connects diaspora populations to their homeland, promotes cross-cultural awareness and understanding, and helps people to better understand themselves and others. 221.   In a recent study conducted in Portugal, researchers found that young students exposed to a six-month musical programme that included both national songs and songs from another culture found that those students who participated in the programme demonstrated a reduced prejudice towards the non-nationals whose music they had learned. 222.   Copyright is a critical tool to enable the continued creation of music and robust copyright protection and trade rules help facilitate cross-border exchanges. Content delivery platforms, such as Apple Music and Spotify, have revolutionized how music is listened to, and continues to unite cultures throughout the world. There are over 400 content delivery platforms globally. 223.   A healthy music ecosystem, for example, contributes and provides benefits to all aspects of society. There are many different contributors, creators, and investors. However, there are harmful players as well who do not contribute (pirates, stream-rippers, etc), and diminish the ability of creators to generate a positive livelihood. Agriculture 224.   Outside of the arts, society benefits from both large-scale innovation and targeted technological improvements that save and improve the lives of millions. 225.   In a multi-stakeholder initiative that includes the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, Gates Foundation, USAID, Monsanto, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, and participating African governments, innovations have been designed to match African farmers' needs. 226.   Through the Expanding Water Efficient Maize for Africa programme, these partners have come together to develop, license, and utilize a hybrid maize seed that can more efficiently utilize water and provide pest resistance—two particularly pernicious problems for farmers in this region. To date, farmers in sub-Saharan Africa have planted over 180,000 hectares of hybrid seeds which farmers have reported doubling over previous yields. By voluntary arrangement, over 23 seed companies are licensed to access the hybrids without paying any royalty to the company that developed the technology. Technology 227.   Breakthrough advances in technology are also providing innovators with new platforms to help others. Recently, researchers at the California Institute of Technology developed an app that makes use of an existing device that is worn like sunglass, but composed of high-powered lenses and computer processors, that could improve the lives of millions of visually-impaired individuals. The app, using a high-tech headset, can quickly analyse a room and provide the wearer with audio directions and hints to navigate complicated spaces. The app calls out directions, announces obstacles, staircases, and railings to guide the user to safely reach his or her destination. 228.   These types of innovations bring enormous hope and potential to the over 253 million people that the WHO estimates live with blindness or visual impairment. Other applications of this type of technology include providing doctors or trainees with real-time, visual guides to complicated operations, or pilots with new training tools. USG programmes 229.   The United States Government and numerous private sector and other organizations implement programmes that make significant economic and social contributions to society through IP-intensive products. 230.   For example, recently, music exchange has been used as a cultural diplomacy tool between the U.S. and Pakistan. The State Department brought selected Pakistani musicians to South by South West, a three-day music festival in the US, for showcases and IP education. The result was perhaps the most unique set of performances at this year's SXSW festival. Musically, the six acts represented a variety of regions and styles https://centerstageus.org/news/billboard-behind-us-state-departments-sxsw-focused-cultural-exchange-pakistan 231.   Moreover, the Department of Commerce participates in related trade shows and missions in the music and entertainment sector which highlight opportunities for U.S. exporters in the sectors of digital licensing. Some examples are Book World in Prague this past May, and the Hong Kong Filmart this past March. These opportunities drive future export competitiveness, and the highlight the importance of intellectual property protection. Private sector/non-profit initiatives 232.   Many US non-profits, charities, and companies engage in initiatives which make social and economic contributions to society through distribution of copyrighted works. 233.   The MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab Innovate for Refugees Competition provides rewards for "innovative and tech-driven solutions for life threatening challenges faced by refugees worldwide." 234.   Examples of innovations that have emerged from this competition include Flowy, a standalone solar-powered hand-washing basis that helps provide clean hand-washing facilities that conserve both energy and water and NCfilter that can convert dirty to clean water using nanotechnology applied to locally-available waste materials. The diverse teams that participated in the competition included Members from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and many other countries. 235.   There are many others, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, FilmAid, Women in Film's PSA Production Programme, and Dramatic Need. 236.   IP continues to drive innovation and creativity worldwide. Governments, the private sector, and other organizations and individuals are undertaking important and exciting work to ensure that the societal benefits of IP are widely shared and applied to the people and populations that need them.
33.   The Chair said the TRIPS Council had regularly conducted annual reviews of technical cooperation and capacity building activities at its end of the year meeting, based on reports submitted by developed country Members, international organizations and the WTO Secretariat. In line with past practice, he suggested the following approach:
a. The next review should take place at the meeting of the TRIPS Council, scheduled for 89 November 2018;

b. Developed country Members were invited to submit information on their activities, pursuant to Article 67 of the TRIPS Agreement. Other Members who also engage in technical cooperation were, of course, encouraged to share information if they so wished;

c. Intergovernmental organizations with observer status in the TRIPS Council, as well as the WTO Secretariat, were invited to report on their relevant activities; and

d. The deadline to submit written information would be set on 12 October 2018, i.e. four weeks prior to the TRIPS Council meeting, in order to allow timely circulation before the meeting.
34.   The Council so agreed.
IP/C/M/89, IP/C/M/89/Add.1