122. The representative of Mexico, associating with those welcoming the complete and interesting document on the link between the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement and electronic commerce, said that the document facilitated a better understanding of the possible implications of the impact that the global nature of the Internet and the expansion of electronic commerce could have for the implementation of intellectual property rights which, as had been indicated, was traditionally based on territorial systems with jurisdictions limited to national territories. The new challenges which faced the intellectual property system resulted from the facility and speed with which protected material could be copied and transmitted on the digital network across national frontiers. This situation posed a number of questions concerning the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, more particularly within the framework of copyright and related rights. However, questions had also arisen in relation to the question of trademarks and their relationship to so-called Internet "domain names". She added that the new situation involving the expansion of electronic commerce could involve other areas of intellectual property as well. Her delegation wished to have more time to make a more detailed study of this document and to consider where it wanted to go in the future. As a preliminary remark, she said that an important subject on which some work could be focused in this instance would be the relationship between trademarks and domain names. The Council should take note, as pointed out in the Secretariat document as well, of the activities in various international fora, more particularly in WIPO and UNCTAD. Her delegation was keen to receive the results of these activities with the objective of avoiding duplication.
