WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONIP/C/W/377/Add.2
16 September 2002
(02-4900)
Council for Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property RightsOriginal:  English
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS
Addendum
AUSTRALIA
The present document reproduces the updated information on the Australia's technical and
financial cooperation activities relevant to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement, which hasbeen received from the Permanent Mission of Australia by means of a communication dated
4 September 2002.
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1. Pursuant to Article 67 of the TRIPS Agreement, the Council for TRIPS requests an update
from developed country Members of their technical and financial cooperation programmes in the area
of intellectual property rights (IPRs) relevant to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement.  The
present document updates the report provided by  Australia in 2001 (IP/C/W/306/Add.2), for the
consideration of the Council at its meeting from 17-19 September 2002, at which there will be specialfocus under Agenda Item N, on Technical Cooperation and Capacity-building.
2. Australia fulfils its Article 67 technical cooperation commitments at the bilateral, regional and
multilateral levels.  Its cooperation activities are largely focused on developing countries particularly
in the Asia-Pacific region.  At the regional level, Australia works closely with the APEC Secretariat
and with Chinese Taipei as the Convenor of the APEC Intellectual Property Rights Expert Group(IPEG).
3. The following provides an update of these activities, divided into bilateral and
regional/multilateral cooperation undertaken by the Australian Government and also Australian
non-governmental and educational institutions.  The four Government agencies chiefly involved are
IP Australia, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the Department ofForeign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Attorney-General's Department (AGD) and the Department of
Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA).
4. Key websites which contain extensive information on Australia's intellectual property regime
and which may be considered a technical cooperation resource include:  the IP Portal by IP Australia
(http://www.ipaccess.gov.au), the IP Australia web site covering patents, designs and trademarks(http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/) AGD and DCITA websites on copyright developments
(http://www.ag.gov.au/ip/  and www.dcita.gov.au/
ip), the DFAT website which covers international IP
developments (www.dfat.gov.au/ip).IP/C/W/377/Add.2
Page 2
Bilateral activities
Cooperation Council of the Gulf Arab States (GCC)
5. Two patent examiners from the Patent Office of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States
of the Gulf (GCC) were part of a patent training group at IP Australia which commenced in
January 2002 for a six-month period.  The training was provided under cooperation arrangements
between the GCC and the Australian Patent Office.
India
6. IP Australia provided two officers to work in Mumbai, India starting in September 2001 and
one officer continued in the new year until 16 February 2002 on a WIPO funded project aimed at the
modernisation of the Indian Trade Marks Registry.
Hong Kong
7. IP Australia assisted the Intellectual Property Department of Hong Kong (IPD) in the
implementation of new Trade Marks legislation and IT systems.  This assistance was funded by IPD.
Indonesia
8. In November 2001, IP Australia coordinated a WIPO funded mission to Australia by a senior
officer of the Directorate General of the Inte llectual Property office (DGIPR) to study the
administration of geographical indications.
9. In April 2002, an IP Australia officer and an officer of the Attorney General's Department
attended the Inaugural Joint Meeting of the Australia-Indonesia Working Group on Legal
Co-operation including the meeting of the Sub-Group on Intellectual Property Rights, in Jakarta
9-10 April 2002.
10. IP Australia hosted a weeks training for 15 examiners in May 2002 from the DGIPR as part of
their IP studies at the University of Technology, Sydney.
11. In August 2002, an IP Australia officer undertook a three-day advisory mission to the DGIPR
funded by WIPO.  The mission focused on the administration of trademarks and geographical
indications and examination procedures in their office.
12. In June 2002, the Attorney-General's Department hosted a roundtable meeting about
intellectual property protection in Australia for a visiting Indonesian lawyer, undertaking a study tourof Australia as the guest of the International Legal Services Advisory Council (ILSAC) under the Ad
Hoc Legal Visits program funded by AusAID.  ILSAC is a part-time advisory council to the
Attorney-General.
Japan
13. In November 2001, two Japanese AIPPI officials visited IP Australia to gain information on
Australian IP systems.
14. An examiner from the Japanese Patent Office undertook a five-month visit to IP Australia
finishing in February 2002 to study activities to increase awareness of IP rights in Australia.IP/C/W/377/Add.2
Page 3
Korea
15. A group of Korean examiners from the Korean Intellectual Property Office visited
IP Australia between 28 November and 4 December 2001 for the purpose of co-operation in the field
of patent examination.
Laos
16. An IP Australia officer gave two presentations at the WIPO National Seminar entitled
"Economic Benefits of Intellectual Property Rights" - one on Trade Marks and Geographic
Indications, the other Industrial Designs:  Benefits and Impact On Trade And Business.
Papua New Guinea
17. To assist with necessary administration systems to support the implementation of PNG's new
patent legislation, a trademarks examiner from the Intellectual Property Office of Papua New Guinea
spent a week working with Patent Administration in IP Australia to learn about practices and
procedures that could be incorporated by the IP office of PNG.
People's Republic of China
18. In August 2002, following a request for assistance by the National Copyright Administration
of China (NCAC), the AGD facilitated a study tour to Australia from 13-20 August 2002 for a
delegation of nine officials from the NCAC and provincial copyright bureau.  The AGD shared legal
and technical expertise with the delegation on a number of copyright topics, and also hosted aroundtable with relevant experts.  The delegation also met with collecting societies in relation to
collective administration of copyright.
Singapore
19. In November 2001, an IP Australia officer visited the IP Office of Singapore (IPOS) for
consultation on patent-related matters and specifically the continued cooperation with regard to
arrangements for conducting search and examination for Singapore.
20. Also in November 2001, two officials from IPOS  undertook a study visit at IP Australia on
public outreach activities.
21. In June 2002, a visit was made to IPOS for continuing discussions regarding search and
examination.
Viet Nam
22. A visit was made in February 2002 as part of an expert mission to Viet Nam as part of the
APEC-IPEG Project on Public Education and Awareness.
Regional/multilateral activitiesAPEC –IPEG
23. An Australian proposal for an "APEC IP Toolkit" was endorsed  at the IPEG meeting held in
Los Angeles 22-23 July.   The Toolkit will provide a framework for prioritising and further
developing IPEG's ongoing work on IP enforcement.  Three key 'Tools' receive particular attention in
the Toolkit:  publications or guides, public awareness campaigns, and training.  The Toolkit istargeted to address key enforcement problems with in the region in industries such as entertainment
and software (copyright), automobiles and pharmaceuticals (patents), and sporting and other clothingIP/C/W/377/Add.2
Page 4
goods (trademarks).  Australia will be working with other APEC economies to translate the Toolkit
into concrete enforcement activities in 2003.
24. At the IPEG meeting, the Australia announced completion of its Survey of IP Laws and
Organizations which has now been downloaded onto the IPEG website ( www.apecipeg.org ).  The
DFAT survey provides an overview of IP legisl ation and key institutions for each APEC economy
with links to relevant websites and information on contacts in key institutions dealing with intellectual
property issues.
25. At the IPEG meeting, Australia was also able to announce that DFAT's biotechnology
training handbook had been completed and downloaded onto the IPEG website.   The handbook is
designed to provide practical introduction to the mana gement of intellectual property rights in relation
to biotechnology.  It is designed to be used for training courses and as a reference tool.  The handbook
was " road tested" in courses in Viet Nam, Thailand and Indonesia.  While copyright in the handbookrests in the Australian Government, it may be us ed for non-commercial training purposes without
seeking approval of the Commonwealth Government.
26. APEC/IPEG's website continues to be managed by IP Australia with national inputs from
member countries.
Regional Framework for the Protection of Tr aditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions
27. Officials from DCITA and AGD, participated in the successful Legal Experts Working Group
meeting held in Noumea (26-28 June 2002) under th e auspices of the Pacific Community (SPC), in
close consultation with Forum Pacific Island countries and UNESCO and WIPO which resulted in a
Regional Framework for the Protection of Tradit ional Knowledge and Expressions of Culture,
including a draft model law.
The Regionally Focused Acti on Plan (RFAP) for the Pacific Islands Forum Countries
28. The RFAP commenced in October 2001 for a three-year period.  The overall objective of the
RFAP is to establish a regional infrastructure based on legislation that takes into account internationalstandards including those under the TRIPS Agreement.  Assistance for the project has been extended
by WIPO and Australia.  The planned activities include legislative reforms, regional collaboration,
IP administration, public awareness and examination as to substance.
29. In March 2002, as part of the RFAP, IP Australia conducted an In-Country Training Project in
Intellectual Property in Samoa.  This Project was a two-week practical workshop-style course
designed give participants practical IP knowledge from the Samoan perspective.  Also during the
earlier part of the year IP Australia in conjunction with WIPO prepared a questionnaire onIP administration systems in the Forum Islands Countries.
30. In July 2002, an IP Australia expert together with a consultant conducted a fact finding
mission to Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea.  The purpose of the mission was to
develop a strategy for public awareness of Intellectual Property in the Pacific Islands Forum
Countries.
31. In June 2002, an IP Australia expert visited Singapore to discuss the APEC-IPEG IP Toolkit
and marketing issues with the Singapore Intellectual Property Office.  Scoping meetings were held
with the IP Office and other Government and private contacts for the APEC Trade Investment
Liberalisation Fund (TILF) Public Education a nd Awareness Project in Philippines and Manila.
Similar meetings followed in Vietnam and Indonesia.IP/C/W/377/Add.2
Page 5
32. An expert from IP Australia spoke at the WIPO Asian Regional Workshop on the
International Protection of Marks organized in co-operation with the National Office of Industrial
Property of Viet Nam and with assistance of the Ja pan Patent Office.  The workshop took place at the
end of October 2001 to review the latest developments in the protection of trademarks at the
international, regional and national level and also the situation concerning the implementation of theMadrid Protocol in countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
33. Australian officials and non-government representatives presented papers at the following
regional and international fora:
• WIPO IP and e-Business Symposium in Iran in January 2002.
• WIPO Judiciary Conference in India February 2002.
• ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property in Malaysia in February 2002.
• WIPO Asian Regional Workshop on the Use of Information Technology and
Management of Industrial Property Rights by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
(SME's) in Bangkok, Thailand in February 2002.
• APEC-IPEG meeting and symposium in Hong Kong - March 2002.
• APEC-IPEG meeting and symposium on enforcement - Los Angeles, July 2002.
• WIPO and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat - meeting to discuss WIPO paper to member
countries on options for regional mechanisms for patents and regional administrative
model.
• Singapore/Australia Free Trade Association.
• WIPO-Australia Forum Secretariat Meeting of High Level Officials of Intellectual
Property Offices of Pacific Islands Forum Countries followed by two-day workshop on
IP legislation.
• WIPO and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat - April 2002 - discussions with Forum
Secretariat and WIPO consultant on RFAP and regional administration model.
• The Pacific Islands Legal Officers Meeting in Fiji on 22-24 October 2001.
• WIPO-sponsored national workshop on the protection and enforcement of copyright and
related rights in Fiji in February 2002 who al so participated in a WIPO advisory mission
on enforcement and collective management immediately following the workshop.
Mr. Scot Morris of the Australasian Perfor ming Right Association based in Sydney, was
also a speaker and participant in the advisory mission.
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