Please see Fiji's responses to the Checklist of Issues on Enforcement (document IP/N/6/FJI/1).

At present, there have been no new initiatives to improve enforcement of patents and trademarks, however we are currently in the process of reviewing our laws on patents and trademarks.

The Patents Act [Cap 239], as alluded to earlier, makes an exception to the protection of patent rights under section 3A which allows persons to make, construct, use or sell the patented invention in respect of pharmaceutical product or substance solely for reasons related to the development and submission of information required under any laws of Fiji or of another country. There is no such provision in the Trademarks Act [Cap 240]. For the Copyright Act 1999, section 58 ( 1) (b) permits the use of copyright work for the service of the State in the interest of the safety or health of the public or any member of the public.

Under section 14 of the Copyright Act 1999, literary, dramatical, musical or artistic works fall under copyright, however, rights to these works only exist when the same is recorded in writing or otherwise. The owner of the work has the exclusive right to copy, issues copies to the public, publicly perform, broadcast, communicate to the public and adapt the work. These are certain exemptions to these by virtue of Parts IV and IX of the Act. The exemptions are particularly in terms of public interest. The copyright exists at the end of 50 years after the end of the calendar year in which the author dies.

Literary works includes computer programs and compilations (which would include data – see definition of compilation) as defined in section 1 of the Copyright Act 1999. Although Part IV gives provisions for exemptions to copyright work, for instance, research on private study does not apply to literary work that is a computer program. This means that rights of the owners of literary work in relation to computer programs have strict exclusive rights to their work.

Yes, under section 73 of the Copyright Act 1999, certain rental rights for works that include a computer program, sound recording or audio visual may be accorded to any person of an educational establishment or a prescribed library. However, this right is only applicable to such an establishment or library that does not provide rental of the work for the purpose of making profit and the work is subject the work has previously been put into circulation with the license of the copyright owner.

Part X of the Copyright Act 1999 provides for performers rights. Section 164 of the Act, performance means a dramatic performance, musical performance, a reading or recitation of a literary work or a performance of a variety act or any similar presentation. There are certain exception, namely, performance in the course of activities of educational establishments, a reading, recital of any items of news and information, performance of a sporting activity or a participation in a performance as a member of an audience. Accordingly, a performer has exclusive right to his/her performance. The performance shall be made, broadcasted live or communicated to the public, in whole or in part, with the performer's consent. The Act further makes provision for the infringement of the performer's right if the performance was used without specific consent for such use. This is subject to certain exceptions including the use of the performance for the purpose of criticism, reviews and news reporting. Also, the rights to performers is subject to the copying of the performance for a course of instructions, for educational establishments, for parliamentary and judicial proceedings and any acts done under statutory authority.

Yes, all the works that are accorded rights under the Copyright Act 1999 has certain exception by virtue of Part IV Copyright Act which is attached as Annex – 1 to this response.

Please refer to Part X of the Copyright Act 1999 which is attached as Annex – 2 to this response.

At present, there is no specific provision for the grant of retroactive protection provided pursuant to Article 18 of the Berne Convention and Article 14.6 of the TRIPS Agreement in the Copyright Act.

There is no definition of a sign in the Trademarks Act, however, 'mark' means a device, brand, heading, label, ticket, name, signature, word, letter, numeral or any combination of these.

Services and elements such as sound, perfumes and containers are not expressly protected under the Trademarks Act. Trademarks are defined as marks used or proposed to be used in connection with goods.

The trademarks are used upon or in connection with goods and are for the purpose of indicating that they are the goods of the proprietor for their manufacture, selection, certification, dealing with or offering for sale. There is no express provisions for the use and conditions of maintenance of trademarks in the current Trademarks Act.

No, the trademark, once registered shall be for a period of 14 years and may be renewed from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Trademark Act.

There are no special requirements for the use of a trademark.

Section 14A of the Trademarks (Amendment) (Decree No. 2) Decree 2012 prohibits the registration of a trademark with the use of the word or mark 'Fiji' or any word that makes reference of implies geographic origins or words or marks making reference or implying an approval from the State for which the proprietor is entitled to disclaim all or any portion of such matter separately or together with other word unless the use of the word or mark or the use of a disclaimer on the word or mark is approved by the Minister.

At present, this is not defined in the Trademarks Act.

The only reference to geographic indications is referred to in section 14A of the Trademarks Act (please see response to No. 14 above).

There are no additional protection granted by the Trademarks Act in relation to wines and spirits.

No such provisions in accordance with Article 24 of the TRIPS Agreement in the Trademarks Act.