RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/7
12January 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0098)
Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
IMPLEMENTATION OFTHE OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE TRIPS AGREEMENT
STEMMING FROM THE INCORPORATION OFTHE PROVISIONS OF
ARTICLE 6TEROFTHE PARIS CONVENTION (1967)
Decision oftheCouncil forTRIPS of11December 1995
Forthepurposes oftheimplementation ofobligations between WTO Members under theTRIPS
Agreement stemming fromtheincorporation intotheTRIPS Agreement oftheprovisions ofArticle 6ter
oftheParis Convention (1967), thefollowing arrangements shallapply:
(i) thecommunicationofemblemsandthetransmittalofobjectionsbetweenWTOMembers
bytheInternationalBureauoftheWorldIntellectualPropertyOrganizationinaccordance
withtheAgreementbetweentheWorldIntellectualPropertyOrganizationandtheWorld
TradeOrganizationof22December1995shallconstitutethecommunicationofemblems
andthetransmittal ofobjections under theTRIPS Agreement;
(ii) onthedatethatArticle 2oftheTRIPS Agreement applies toaWTO Member that
isalsoaStateparty totheParis Convention, thatWTO Member shallhavethesame
obligations under theTRIPS Agreement vis-à-vis other WTO Members alsoStates
party totheParisConvention thatithasunder theParisConvention, without prejudice
totheadditional obligations under theTRIPS Agreement onWTO Members notbound
under theParis Convention toprotect theemblems ofinternational intergovernmental
organizations;
(iii) where anemblem iscommunicated toaWTO Member from another WTO Member
andatleastoneoftheWTO Members inquestion isnotapartytotheParisConvention,
theperiod of12months available under theTRIPS Agreement forthetransmittal of
objections pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle 6ter(4)oftheParis Convention shall
notbegin earlier thanthedateofapplication ofArticle 2oftheTRIPS Agreement by
theWTO Member receiving thecommunication. Thesame shallapply inrespect of
anycommunication ofanemblem ofaninternational intergovernmental organization
toaWTO Member notparty totheParis Convention ornotbound under theParis
Convention toprotect suchemblems.
Forthepurposes oftheabove, "emblem" means anyarmorial bearing, flagandother State
emblem ofaWTO Member, oranyofficial signorhallmark indicating control andwarranty adopted
byit,and,inthecaseofaninternational intergovernmental organization, anyarmorial bearing, flag,
other emblem, abbreviation orname ofthatorganization.