WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONIP/C/W/412
10 November 2003
(03-5973)
Council for Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property RightsOriginal:  English
REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 66.2
OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT
JAPAN
The following communication, dated 23 October 2003, has been received from the Permanent
Mission of Japan pursuant to paragraph 1 of the Decision on Implementation of Article 66.2 of the
TRIPS Agreement.*
Communications from other developed country Memb ers will be circulated as addenda to this
document.
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The Government of Japan has been conducting development cooperation activities in many
fields including intellectual property.  Some of its activities have already been reported in the context
of technical cooperation activities at the TRI PS Council (IP/C/W/388/A dd.4, IP/C/W/132/Add.2).  Of
course, one of the most important objectives of the cooperation activities is promoting and
encouraging technology transfer.
With regard to the incentives Japan provides to enterprises and institutions in Japan, the
Government of Japan will report on the following activities.  The Government of Japan believes that
these activities will contribute to raising the leve l of technological infrastructure in the least-
developed countries, which will bring about further technological transfer.
I. ACCEPTANCE OF TRAINEES
1. Government-sector acceptance of trainees
(i) JICA activity
JICA, Japan International Cooperation Agen cy, is responsible for government-based
technical cooperation through the use of Japan's ODA (Official DevelopmentAssistance) budget.
JICA conducts training for government-related persons in developing countries.  It conducts
group training in accordance with a predetermined programme based on needs that are common to
developing countries.
                                                     
* Document IP/C/28.IP/C/W/412
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(ii) Activity in the field of Intellectual property rights
The JPO, Japan Patent Office, has been holding group training courses on intellectual
property rights for government officials in coop eration with JICA and the Asia-Pacific Industrial
Property Center (APIC) of the Ja pan Institute of Invention and Innovation (JIII).  In FY 2002, the
following five group training courses were held:
- for APEC member economies:
- "Group Training Course in Intellectual Property for APEC Economies" is a month
course for administrative officials working in areas related to IPR and examiners of
IPR.  Participants are divided into three groups according to their specialties:
administration, patents and utility models, and trademarks.
This training course was implemented by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in
cooperation with the JPO and the APIC of JIII.
- for the ESCAP region:
- "Training course on the Enforcement of IPR under WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a
two-week course for senior officials engaged in the enforcement of IPR in
enforcement-related government agencies.
- "Training course on the Use of Information Technology in IP Administration under
WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a two-week course for senior officials of IP offices
responsible for information technology matters.
- "Training course on the Examination Practices of Industrial Property under WIPO
Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a three-week course for examiners in the field of IPR.
Participants are divided into three groups according to their specialties:  patents and
utility models, industrial designs, and trademarks.
- "Training course on Industrial Property Administration under WIPO Funds-in-
Trust/Japan" is a two-week course for senior officials in IP offices in charge ofgeneral administration and policy planning.
These four training courses are managed by the JPO and organized by the WIPO in
cooperation with the APIC of JIII.
(iii) Activity in the field of plant variety protection
This JICA training course was started in 2000 in cooperation with NCSS (National Center for
Seed and Seedling) to contribute to the protecti on of plant breeders' rights. In FY 2003, ten trainees
have been accepted from various countries.
2. Private-sector acceptance of trainees
(i) AOTS activity
Training to assist human-resource development in business and industrial sectors.
AOTS, The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship, is a non-profit
organization established in 1959. Its main purpose is to promote technicalIP/C/W/412
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cooperation for the industrialization and development of developing countries and
enhance mutual understanding and friendly relations between those countries and
Japan.
These activities involve the provision of training at the private-sector level for technical
personnel within industrial sectors of developing countries. The objective is to foster the transfer ofskills and know-how possessed by Japanese industry.
Training programmes in Japan (average period  of 3.5 months;  3,763 trainees received in
FY 2002)
• Training conducted by private-sector companies for the purpose of human-resource
development in the industrial sectors of developing countries.
• Management training conducted on an industry-specific basis for the purpose of
educating management, production, and quality-control personnel, as well as thoseinvolved in environmental protection and the promotion of supporting industries.
Training programmes overseas (periods of 1-2 weeks; 2,463 trainees in FY 2002)
• Training in such areas as general skills, management techniques, and principal systems
implemented with the cooperation of overseas cooperation institutions.
(ii) JPO activity
The JPO has also been holding the following group training courses on industrial property
rights for trainees from the private sector:
- for APEC member economies:
- "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Management"
Participants in this two-week course occupy middle and senior management personnel
positions or their equivalent in private companies, law firms, research institutes and
educational organizations.
- "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Operational Staff"Participants of the course are operational staff in private companies, law firms, research
institutes and educational organizations.  This three-week course is held five times a year.
- "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Lawyers"
Participants of this three-week course are law staff or lawyers in law firms and specialists of
industrial property law in educational organizations.
- for non-APEC economies:
- "Training Programme on Industrial Property Management"
The participants occupy middle and senior management positions or their equivalent in
private companies, law firms, research institutes and educational organizations.  The course is
for two weeks.IP/C/W/412
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These training courses are conducted by APIC of JIII with the assistance of the Association
for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS).
Cooperative training to facilitate  trade and investment, etc. (AOTS)
Training in such spheres as industrial property rights, standards and certification, and
measurement is provided for those conducting bus iness activities in the aforementioned fields in
development economies within APEC.  In particular, the training in industrial property rights aims to
develop personnel with ability and expertise in areas such as industrial property rights, patent
administration, and the infringement of rights.
During the FY 2002, 169 persons received training.
II. DISPATCH OF EXPERTS
1. Government-sector dispatch of experts (JICA)
JICA dispatches to developing countries experts with the skills and knowledge suited to the
country’s needs. The dispatched experts contribute to the development of the partner country,
raising its technological level by transmitting technical knowledge and skills to counterparts
in the partner country, principally in the government sector.   It promotes the activities such as
investment promotion, trade promotion, and industrial development by developing countries.
2. Private-sector dispatch of experts (JODC)
Dispatch of experts to assist human-resource development in business and industrial sectors.
JODC, the Japan Overseas Development Co rporation, is a non-profit organization
established in 1970. Its programme is funded by subsidies from the ODA budget of
the Japanese Government and contributions from private enterprises.
These activities involve the dispatch of experts at the private-sector level to assist technical
personnel within specific industrial sectors of developing countries.  At the request of private
companies from developing countries, experts such as technicians and management experts are
dispatched from Japan to provide advice and instruc tion to the entities making the requests.  In this
way, contributions in a variety of spheres can be made to developing countries, primarily in Asia.
Such contributions include the promotion of economic and industrial structural reform, theenhancement of technical and management skills within companies, and support for the spread of
information technology in local industries.
3. Private-sector dispatch of experts (JETRO)
Dispatch of experts to improve the business environment of developing countries to promote
trade and investment.
JETRO,  the Japan External Trade Organization, was established by the Japanese
Government in 1958 as the nation's principal organization for the comprehensiveimplementation of trade policy.
JETRO is engaged in the dispatch of experts to assist developing countries in the
establishment of various rules and institutions necessary to create a business environment conducive
to trade and investment.  More specifically, at the request of private sector bodies and other entities
from developing countries, experts in fields such  as intellectual property rights, standard andIP/C/W/412
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conformity assessment, and logistics are dispatched from Japan to provide advice and assistance to the
entity making the request.
III. RESEARCH COOPERATION
Research cooperation differs from technical cooperation in that it takes the form of research
and development adapted to technology-development issues (technological needs) being addressedby developing countries.  Assistance is provided indirectly, through the medium of the New Energy
and Industrial Technology Development Organi zation (NEDO), to rese arch institutions in
developing countries and other bodies working jointly with them.
NEDO, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization,
established in 1980, is a unique organization in that it coordinates the funds,
personnel, and technological strengths of both the public and private sectors in
Japan.
The assistance is in the form of the dispatch of research staff and technicians and the conduct
of joint research through the acceptance of research personnel from the countries concerned.  In
addition, joint research is carried out through various activities including the production of materials
and equipment necessary for research cooperation, the installation of such materials and equipment in
the recipient countries, and integrated operation and conduct of research.
IV. COOPERATION IN DEVELOPMENT STUDY
1. Research on overseas development plans (JICA)
Based upon requests from developing c ountries, policy recommendations and/or
comprehensive master plans are formulated with respect to the sectors essential for nation-building by
those countries.  For specific development projects, feasibility studies are conducted from variousaspects in regard to their actual implementation, reports containing the results of those studies are
compiled, and these are submitted to the recipient government.
The results of the aforementioned development research activities such as policy
recommendations, development plans, and feasibility studies, provide important and indispensable
advice and information when developing countries make policy decisions, and are also used assupporting materials when individual projects are implemented and when financial assistance is
requested from Japan, other donor countries, and international aid institutions.
V. OTHER ACTIVITIES
1. Technical cooperation projects (JICA)
The Technical Cooperation Project involves providing support for training of personnel
required to achieve social and economic progress in developing countries and for the development
and diffusion of technology and skills.  A period of cooperation lasting between three and five years isset to achieve these aims.  Elements such as dispatch of experts, acceptance of technical training
participants and provision of equipment are organically linked into Technical Cooperation in which
every aspect – from the formulation of plans to their execution and evaluation – falls within a fully
integrated whole.
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