Actas - Consejo de los ADPIC - Ver detalles de la intervención/declaración

Ambassador István Major (Hungary)
E TECHNICAL COOPERATION
36. The representative of Bulgaria drew the Council's attention to the results of the National Seminar on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, held in Sofia, Bulgaria from 24 to 26 June 1998. The seminar, organized by WIPO in cooperation with the Patent Office, the Ministry of Trade and Tourism and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria and chaired by a representative of WIPO, included foreign panelists from various intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, notably the WTO, the World Customs Organization, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and the International Intellectual Property Alliance. More than 70 participants from the Bulgarian ministries and agencies with responsibility in the field of enforcement of intellectual property rights had taken part in the seminar, among whom were the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Tourism, Culture and Industry as well as the President of the Patent Office. The Bulgarian panelists were from the Chief Prosecutor's Office, the Sofia City Court, the General Customs Directorate, the Ministry of Culture and the Patent Office. The panel discussions had focused on the enforcement provisions of the TRIPS Agreement, the civil, administrative and criminal procedures and remedies, and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the digital environment. The panel discussion on the special requirements related to border measures had been of particular interest to the Bulgarian participants in view of the present consideration in the competent ministries and agencies of the draft Regulation on Border Control with respect to the protection of intellectual property rights. The panel discussions at the seminar had provided opportunities for a free exchange of views on the subjects and consideration of recommendations for further strengthening of the enforcement of intellectual property rights in Bulgaria. A number of unofficial consultations on practical issues of enforcement of intellectual property rights in Bulgaria had been held between the foreign participants and Bulgarian officials from various ministries and agencies. The foreign participants had obtained personal impressions of the priority attached by the Bulgarian Government to the protection of intellectual property rights. They had received detailed information about the efforts undertaken recently by Bulgarian authorities to fight copyright piracy and other forms of infringements of intellectual property rights and updated figures about the results achieved in this respect. The representatives of the intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations had expressed their appreciation for the substantial progress in Bulgaria in the area of enforcement of intellectual property rights. The Bulgarian Government was highly satisfied with the results of the seminar. It had been a remarkable example of the substantial potential of WIPO to provide effective technical assistance in the field of the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. It had demonstrated how successful the joint efforts of WIPO and the WTO under the Cooperation Agreement between the two Organizations of 1 January 1996 might be with respect to the countries of central and eastern Europe in transition to a market economy. It had also proved that the participation of the private sector in similar activities and fora contributed to more comprehensive and result-oriented panel discussions and in view of that his delegation believed that such participation should be encouraged further.
IP/C/M/19