80. The representative of Australia also found that the joint proposal from Japan and the United States contained some of the elements that her delegation wanted to see and met some of the concerns that her delegation had expressed previously. In particular, this system was more in line with what her delegation had envisaged in that it did not create TRIPS-plus treatment, i.e. additional burdens and protection that was not currently envisaged in the TRIPS Agreement. Her delegation particularly liked the way in which it made use of existing national systems and recognized the different national systems that existed. It was also much easier for Members to use systems that Members already had, or would have, than to have to invent a cumbersome superstructure or extra layer. Her delegation liked the voluntary nature of the scheme which was in keeping with Article 23.4 and believed that this could have a useful trade facilitation effect in allowing for a free exchange of information. She foreshadowed further comments on the details of the proposal.
