wipo magazine, issue no. 7-8, 1998

Contents

Two New Deputy Directors General Appointed

Domain Name Consultations Begin

WIPO’s Work with Trinidad and Tobago: A Success Story

Cooperation for Development

Working Together to Meet TRIPS Deadline

WIPO Worldwide Academy

WIPO Hosts Summer Interns

Copyright Courses Continue in Latin America

Have You Visited the New WIPO Web Site?

Visits

Director General Visits Morocco

Global Intellectual Property Issues

Indigenous Peoples Discuss Issues at First Roundtable

Global Protection Systems and Services

Pursuing PCT Automation

The SCIT Begins Work

Trademark Law Committee Begins Discussions

Calendar of Meetings

Publications

Notice to Readers

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WIPO MAGAZINE - JULY/AUGUST 19982

WIPO Magazine is published month-ly by the Office of Global Communi-cations and Public Diplomacy, WorldIntellectual Property Organization(WIPO). It is not an official recordand the views expressed in individualarticles are not necessarily those ofWIPO.

The Magazine is distributed free of charge.

If you are interested in receivingcopies, contact:

Publications Officer

WIPO34, chemin des Colombettes P.O. Box 18CH-1211 Geneva 20Switzerlandphone: 41 22 338 91 11fax: 41 22 733 54 28e-mail: [email protected]

For comments or questions, contact:

The Editor

WIPO Magazine (at the above address)

Copyright ©1998 World Intellectual Property OrganizationAll rights reserved. Articles contained herein may bereproduced for educational purposes. No part may, howev-er, be reproduced for commercial purposes without theexpress written consent of the Office of Global Communi-cations and Public Diplomacy, World Intellectual PropertyOrganization, P.O. Box 18, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzer-land.

Two new Deputy Directors General and four new directorswere appointed, following the 41st session of the Coordina-tion Committee on July 6-7.

Mr. Roberto Castelo is the new Deputy Director Generalresponsible for WIPO’s Cooperation for Development Pro-gram, as well as the Worldwide Academy and the Promotionof Innovation Program. He is a national of Brazil whojoined WIPO in 1996 following 12 years in various UnitedNations organizations.

Mr. Shozo Uemura, a national of Japan, comes to WIPO fromthe Japanese Patent Office, where he was Director General ofthe Fourth Examination Department and International Affairs.In his new position as Deputy Director General, he will beresponsible for the progressive development of internationalintellectual property law.

Four new directors were also appointed:

Mr. Herman Ntchatcho (Cameroon)Human Resources Management

Mr. Inayet Syed (Canada)Information Technology

Mr. Richard Wilder (United States of America)Non-Governmental Affairs

Mr. Joachim Bilger (Germany)Controller

Two New Deputy Directors General Appointed

Mr. Roberto Castelo,Deputy Director General

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Mr. Shozo Uemura,Deputy Director General

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WIPO has launched internationalconsultations to develop recom-mendations for the intellectualproperty issues associated withInternet domain names, includingdispute resolution. The recom-mendations resulting from theseconsultations, known officially asthe WIPO Internet Domain NameProcess, will be made available tothe non-profit organization that isbeing formed to manage the tech-nical and policy aspects of theInternet domain name system(DNS).

Domain names are the “addresses”of computers connected to theInternet, for example, WIPO’sdomain name is wipo.int. Theseaddresses allow users to send e-mails and visit web sites in everycorner of world. The organizationand management of the DNS havebeen intensely debated over thepast two years, as the use of Inter-net has exploded. The WIPO con-sultations are motivated by a

desire to ensure that the manage-ment of the DNS is institutional-ized in a way that permits the sys-tem to accommodate the growingvolume of traffic on the Internet,while providing competitive andopen administration that considersthe interests of all Internet stake-holders.

One of the important issues con-sidered in the course of these dis-cussions is the relationshipbetween domain names and trade-marks. While domain names wereoriginally intended to be a way toconnect computers on the Inter-net, domain names have become aform of business identifier,because they are easy to rememberand use. Businesses have startedto realize the significant potentialof web sites as a primary means offacilitating electronic commerce.By using trademarks as theirdomain names, businesses hope toattract potential customers to theirweb sites, increase their marketvisibility, and their sales and prof-its. Domain names are now used

routinely in business advertising toindicate accessibility via the Internet.

As the Internet has grown, however,domain names have increasinglycome into conflict with trade-marks. The possibility of suchconflict arises from the lack ofconnection between the systemfor registering trademarks, on theone hand, and the system for reg-istering domain names, on theother hand. While the trademarkregistration system is adminis-tered by a public (governmental)authority on a territorial (eithernational or regional) basis, pro-viding rights to the trademarkholder within the territory, theDNS is usually administered by a non-governmental organizationwithout any functional limitation:domain names are registered on a first-come, first-served basisand offer a unique, global pres-ence on the Internet. The differ-ences in these two registrationsystems have been exploited byindividuals or groups who seizethe opportunity to register thetrademarks of other persons orenterprises as domain names forthemselves ("cybersquatting").

Domain NameConsultations Begin

Consultations are scheduledin the following locations:

San Francisco, USABrussels, BelgiumWashington D.C., USA Cairo, EgyptMexico City, MexicoAsuncion, NorthernMariana IslandsTokyo, JapanHyderabad, IndiaSydney, AustraliaCape Town, South AfricaBudapest, Hungary

[Continued on page 6, col. 3]For more information about the Internet Domain Name Process visit,http://wipo2.wipo.int


WIPO’s program on cooperationfor development provides, when-ever possible, assistance with thespecial needs and requirements ofindividual countries. One of thesuccess stories of this approachhas been WIPO’s cooperationwith the Government of Trinidadand Tobago.

In 1994, the Government ofTrinidad and Tobago designed,with the technical assistance ofWIPO, a policy that would ensurethe regulation and enforcement ofintellectual property rights. Thispolicy acknowledged not only theimportance of intellectual proper-ty rights in a country’s economicdevelopment, but also createdincentives and opportunities forefficient foreign and nationalinvestments.

WIPO worked with Trinidad andTobago to develop a comprehen-sive approach to public and pri-

vate management of intellectualproperty, which included: ■ a framework for intellectual

property in line with interna-tional standards, including theWIPO-administered treatiesand the Agreement on theTrade-Related Aspects of Intel-lectual Property Rights(TRIPS);

■ the development of efficientadministration and enforcementof intellectual property rights;

■ a plan to promote public aware-ness of the important role ofintellectual property and the useof industrial property informa-tion; and

■ the establishment of coopera-tion links with other developingcountries.

The Government of Trinidad andTobago launched and funded theproject, the first of its kind in theCaribbean region, and WIPOworked on its implementationfrom 1994 through 1996. By work-ing together, WIPO and the Gov-ernment achieved remarkable

results in all areas included in themodernization of the legal andadministrative framework for intel-lectual property.

During implementation, the gov-ernment undertook, with the assis-tance of WIPO, a thorough revi-sion of the intellectual propertylegislation then in force to mod-ernize it and make it compatiblewith the international obligationsaccepted by the country. As aresult, the Parliament enacted thefollowing laws: The TrademarkAmendment Act (1996), ThePatent Act (1996), The IndustrialDesigns Act (1996), the Act forthe Protection Against UnfairCompetition (1996) and The Copy-right Act (1997).

At the same time, the countryincreased its membership in intel-lectual property treaties, becomingthe country of the Americas par-ticipating in the greatest numberof WIPO-administered treaties.Already party to the Paris Con-vention, the WIPO Convention,the Berne Convention, the Con-vention for the Protection of Pro-ducers of Phonograms, Trinidadand Tobago became party in 1994to the Patent Cooperation Treatyand the Budapest Treaty on theInternational Recognition of theDeposit of Microorganisms for thePurposes of Patent Procedure. In1996, it joined the four interna-tional treaties establishing interna-tional classifications for industrialproperty elements: the StrasbourgAgreement Concerning the Inter-national Patent Classification, theNice Agreement Concerning theInternational Classification ofGoods and Services for the Pur-poses of the Registration ofMarks, the Vienna AgreementEstablishing an InternationalClassification of the FigurativeElements of Marks, and theLocarno Agreement Establishing

WIPO’s Work withTrinidad and Tobago: A Success Story

The Director General of WIPO, Dr. Kamil Idris, the Honorable PrimeMinister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Basdeo Panday (right) togetherwith the Minister of Legal Affairs, Ms. Kamla Persad-Bissessar(background, center).

[Continued on page 7, col. 3]


Working Together toMeet TRIPS Deadline

WIPO and WTO begin joint project

WIPO and the World Trade Orga-nization (WTO) have begun ajoint project to provide technicalassistance to developing countries.The initiative will help developingcountries which are members ofthe WTO to meet the January 1,

2000, deadline—less than 18months away—for conforming withthe WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of IntellectualProperty Rights (TRIPS).

The two organizations will assistcountries to bring their laws oncopyright, patents, trademarks, andother areas of intellectual propertyinto line with the Agreement, andprovide effective enforcement oflaws to deal with piracy, counterfeitgoods, and other forms of intellectualproperty rights infringements.

In July, the Directors General ofthe two organizations, Dr. KamilIdris of WIPO and Mr. RenatoRuggiero of the WTO, sent jointcommunications to the ministersof each of the developing countriesconcerned to inform them of theinitiative. The communicationunderscored the two organiza-tions’ commitment to help devel-oping countries comply with theTRIPS Agreement on time.

By working together, WIPO andthe WTO, along with the countriesrequesting assistance and (whereappropriate) donor countries, willmaximize use of availableresources in the coming criticalperiod by improved planning andcoordination of technical coopera-tion activities. ■

Cooperation for Development

WIPOWorldwide Academy

WIPO Hosts SummerInterns

For the first time in its history,WIPO organized a SummerInternship Program as part of thetraining developed by the WIPOWorldwide Academy. The pro-gram provided an opportunity forstudents and young professionalsto experience the Organization’swork and gain first-hand knowl-edge of current intellectual proper-ty issues.

Twelve candidates from Algeria,Chile, Cote d’Ivoire, Denmark,France, Israel, Peru, United Repub-lic of Tanzania, Saudi Arabia,

Switzerland, and the United Statesof America were selected on thebasis of their academic achieve-ments. The interns were assignedto various offices and departmentswithin WIPO, where they spenttime getting hands-on experience

and doing research on variousintellectual property topics.

At the end of the six-week period,the interns presented the results oftheir research to the group. With-out exception, the interns foundtheir time at WIPO to be fulfilling,challenging, and fun. They allmentioned the friends they hadmade, the excellent mentoring theyreceived, and the real work thatthey accomplished. In response,

Participants and WIPO officials during the first WIPO Summer Internship Program.

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Deputy Director General, Mr.Roberto Castelo, pledged to con-tinue supporting this new programin the years to come.

Copyright CoursesContinue in LatinAmerica

Havana, Cuba, was the site of thelatest WIPO Regional AcademicCourse on Copyright and Neigh-boring Rights for Latin America. Itwas the most recent in a series ofcourses on copyright for the regionthat have continued uninterruptedfor 15 years. However, this coursewas just a little different. It was thefirst to be organized by the WIPOWorldwide Academy.

The nine-day course was conduct-ed in cooperation with the CubanCopyright Center (CENDA), withthe assistance of the GeneralAuthors’ Society of Spain(SGAE). The Minister of Cultureof Cuba opened the event, whichfeatured a variety of experts, 12

guest speakers from differentLatin American countries, Spain,and Switzerland, as well as WIPOofficials. The program focused pri-marily on the consequences ofaccession by a member of theWorld Trade Organization to theBerne Convention for Literary andArtistic Works. Each subject onthe program included a series ofquestions focusing on the mostsalient issues that were clarified inthe form of an open dialogue withthe audience.

The event attracted 160 partici-pants from 18 countries in theregion. In addition to governmentofficials, judges, public prosecu-tors, and university students, indi-viduals from the private sectoralso attended.

Other countries that have hostedWIPO copyright course since1983 include: Argentina, Brazil, Chile,Columbia, Costa Rica, theDominican Republic, Ecuador,Guatemala, Mexico, Panama,Paraguay, and Peru. ■

Conflicts between domain namesand trademarks present unusualfeatures that stretch the capacityof the ordinary judicial system,which is also territorially based,thus inhibiting a comprehensivesolution to a conflict with a globaldimension. Because litigation canbe slow and expensive, it is oftenquicker and cheaper for a trade-mark holder to buy back its rightsto a domain name from the cyber-squatter, rather than seek to retrievethose rights through litigation.

The WIPO consultations, whichbegan in August, are designed todevelop consensus among thestakeholders of the Internet,including representatives of thetechnical, trademark, and publicinterest communities. To obtainthe widest possible geographicaland sectoral participation, WIPOwill use a combination of Internet-based consultations and face-to-face meetings throughout the vari-ous regions of the world, and willbe assisted by a representativegroup of experts. WIPO will coop-erate closely with the new organi-zation that is being formed tomanage the DNS, eventually pro-viding it with a set of recommen-dations resulting from the consul-tation process. If you areinterested in following or partici-pating in the process, you are wel-come to visit the WIPO web site athttp://www.wipo.int and click on“Internet Domain Names.” ■

Have You Visited theNew WIPO Web Site?

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In August 1998, more than 100,000 pages of information were transferredvia the WIPO web site every week, http://www.wipo.int


Director GeneralVisits Morocco

As part of WIPO’s Cooperationfor Development program, theDirector General visited Moroccofor discussions with national lead-ers and to open the WIPO Semi-nar on Licensing and Transfer ofTechnology, held in Rabat.

Dr. Idris was received by HisMajesty King Hassan II in theRoyal Palace of Soukhirat, Rabat.

The meeting took place in thepresence of the Prime Minister,the Minister of State for ForeignAffairs and Cooperation as wellas the Minister for Industry,Commerce and TraditionalIndustries. The Director Generalalso met with a number of otherministers and senior officials,including the Minister for Com-munication, Minister for HigherEducation and ScientificResearch, and the Secretary ofState for the Post and New Infor-mation Technologies.

In his remarks at the opening cer-emony of the WIPO Seminar, Dr.Idris underlined the pivotal roleof the private sector in developingeffective mechanisms to protectintellectual property rights. Healso stressed the need to harnessthe creativity of national inven-tors and to optimize the benefitsof technology transfer, saying,“Morocco, with its vast culturalresources, cannot fail to benefitfrom a robust intellectual proper-ty system.” The seminar wasattended by some 60 participantsfrom academic, legal, and busi-ness circles.

Dr. Idris traveled on to Casablan-ca, where he visited CasablancaUniversity and the MoroccanIndustrial Property Office. ■

an International Classification forIndustrial Designs.

Improvements in the area of intel-lectual property administrationfocused on the computerization ofthe main operations and databasesof the Intellectual Property Reg-istry, including access on-line byoffice staff and the public. In addi-tion, patent and trademark proce-dures were defined and stream-lined with a manual on trademarklaw and practice; guidelines for theprocessing and examination ofpatent applications; the use of theinternational classification forpatents, trademarks, and industrialdesigns; and the establishment ofpatent information services. Anintensive and broad program ofhuman resources training was alsoimplemented, which resulted in ahighly professionally trained staffat all levels.

The Government of Trinidad andTobago consistently promoted therole of intellectual property to thepublic and, with the assistance ofWIPO, conducted four nationalseminars dealing with the maintopics of industrial property, copy-right, neighboring rights, and collective administration.

Creating cooperative links withother developing countries wasactively pursued, for example,Trinidad and Tobago hosted thefirst WIPO Ministerial LevelMeeting on Intellectual Propertyfor Caribbean countries and thesecond WIPO Regional Meetingof Heads of Industrial PropertyOffices of the Caribbean coun-tries, held in Port of Spain in July 1997. ■

Visits [Continued from page 4]

Morocco12-14 July, 1998

activities“Morocco, with its vast

cultural resources,cannot fail to benefit

from a robustintellectual property

system.”activities


Global IntellectualProperty Issues

Indigenous PeoplesDiscuss Issues atFirst Roundtable

Indigenous peoples from Africa,the Americas, Asia, Europe, andthe South Pacific gathered atWIPO headquarters to exchangeviews about the role of intellectualproperty laws in their intellectualand cultural heritage. ThisRoundtable marked the beginningof a dialogue between memberStates of WIPO and the world’sdiverse indigenous populations.

Approximately 200 representativesmet for two days of discussion inlate July. The event was opened byDeputy Director General RobertoCastelo, who said that theRoundtable was “intended as aforum for indigenous peoples toshare experiences and aspirationsconcerning the protection of tradi-tional knowledge, innovations,and culture by means of intellectu-al property.” Discussions included

presentations by WIPO officialsdescribing the existing intellectualproperty systems, as well as pre-sentations by experts on currentefforts and initiatives to protecttraditional knowledge.

There is a broad and deep lack ofawareness of intellectual propertyrights among indigenous peoples,which leads to a lack of considera-tion of these avenues of protec-tion. The Roundtable was orga-nized under a new WIPO program

to facilitate discussion of effectiveapplication and possible improve-ments of intellectual property sys-tems to accommodate the uniquecontributions of indigenous peo-ples, and help them protect theirtraditional knowledge, innova-tions, and cultural heritage.

The success of this meeting ledparticipants to suggest that WIPOsponsor similar Roundtable dis-cussions on a regular basis. WIPOis planning a series of activitiesrelated to these questions through-out the biennium, such as fact-finding missions, pilot projects todocument traditional knowledgeformations, and studies on theways information technology canprotect and conserve traditionalknowledge.

For more information on this pro-gram, please contact the WIPOGlobal Intellectual Property IssuesDivision: tel (+41 22) 338 93 19;fax (+41 22) 338 81 20. ■

Participants and WIPO officials at WIPO’s first Roundtable for Indigenous Peoples.

Participants at WIPO’s first Roundtable for Indigenous Peoples.


Pursuing PCTAutomation

The extraordinary growth in theautomation of applications andexaminations under the PatentCooperation Treaty (PCT) hasprompted WIPO member States toapprove further automation of thePCT system. At the March 1998General Assemblies meeting,about 40 million Swiss francs wasapproved to finance the project,which will not only speed registra-tion activities, but also facilitatecommunications with PCT users,minimize staff growth, andimprove storage capacities.

The project, which will take threeto four years to complete, willinclude: ■ developing an electronic docu-

ment management system forhandling the increasing numberof international applications,whether in electronic or paperform;

■ improving “PCT-EASY”(Electronic ApplicationSYstem), which enables appli-cants to file international appli-cations electronically.Improvements will allow receiv-ing Offices to receive interna-tional applications more easilyand accurately, perform auto-mated formality checks, andtransmit international applica-tions to the InternationalBureau of WIPO and theInternational SearchingAuthorities;

■ establishing electronic commu-nication between the PCTOffices and the InternationalBureau of WIPO of documents,notifications, and information toenable transfer of copies ofinternational applications, prior-ity documents, internationalsearch and preliminary exami-nation reports;

■ developing, as necessary, newstandards for electronic filing,coding, and transmission of datato ensure full compatibility ofthe International Bureau’s sys-tem with those in national andregional Offices.

In October 1998, WIPO willbegin the project by issuing aninternational tender for theautomation of the receipt, process-ing, and publishing of internation-al applications at the InternationalBureau. This tender process isexpected to be completed byMarch 1999, with work beginningby April 1999.

Once completed, the newadvanced PCT system will providethe following benefits:■ Applicants will be able to file

international applications elec-tronically, checking their datafor errors, while paying lowerfees. Fee reduction is expectedbecause automation will be lesslabor intensive, require less space,and lower publication costs.

■ Receiving Offices will be able toprocess incoming internationalapplications electronically,including automatic formalitychecks, and then transmit thoseapplications and other docu-ments to the InternationalBureau of WIPO andInternational SearchingAuthorities.

■ The International Bureau ofWIPO will be able to electroni-cally process internationalapplications, including theirpublication, provide internation-al search and preliminary exam-ination reports, and automati-cally communicate informationand documents necessary todesignated and elected Officesin electronic or paper form.

■ Offices of or acting for the PCTContracting States will be ableto cope more easily and eco-nomically with workloads result-ing from increased applicationsand receive, for the nationalphase, only the information theyneed when it is needed.

■ The general public will haveaccess to PCT information inelectronic form and their abilityto search information will befurther enhanced. ■

Global ProtectionSystems and Services

Automated processing of applicationsunder the PCT.


Three working groups will be set up to handle theSCIT work program:

the Information Infrastructure Working Group, theStandards and Documentation Working Group, andthe Information Security Working Group. The tasksfor these groups include the preparation of a tender for the deployment of the global information network,the development of the Intellectual Property DigitalLibraries, pilot projects for the computerization ofintellectual property offices, and standardization for data exchange on the network.

The SCIT BeginsWork

The WIPO Standing Committeeon Information Technologies(SCIT) met for the first time inlate June 1998. The SCIT is con-tinuing and expanding the workbegun by the Permanent Commit-tee on Industrial Property Infor-mation (PCIPI).

Just as other Standing Committeeshave done in their first meetings,the SCIT adopted its own SpecialRules of Procedure and WorkingMethods to facilitate efficient andproductive discussions and imple-mentation of various projects. Italso agreed to review its workingmethods whenever appropriate.The participants established thefollowing objectives:■ to discuss issues, facilitate coor-

dination, and provide guidanceon implementation of the WIPOglobal information network(WIPONET), and provide intel-lectual property informationservices on this network throughthe Intellectual Property DigitalLibraries (IPDL);

■ to address issues pertinent tothe provision of intellectualproperty information (includingsecured data) services throughthe IPDLs and other projectsusing the WIPONET;

■ to deal with problems regardingoperation and use of theWIPONET, including the use ofvarious on-line systems, as wellas other data carriers;

■ to provide intellectual propertyoffices, particularly in develop-ing countries, with technicalassistance to facilitate the gener-ation of intellectual propertydata and use of informationtechnology in their computeri-zation projects and efficient useof the WIPONET;

■ to formulate recommendationsand policies regarding the globalnetwork and related matters. ■

SCIT


Trademark LawCommittee BeginsDiscussions

The WIPO Standing Committeeon the Law of Trademarks,Industrial Designs, andGeographical Indications (SCT)held its first session in Geneva inJuly. Like its counterpart dealingwith patents, this StandingCommittee comprises WIPOmember States and certain inter-governmental organizations andassociations representing privatesector interests. The SCT setspriorities and determines thework program relating to theinternational development oflaws and practices on trade-marks, industrial designs andgeographical indications.

At this session, the SCT adoptedspecial rules of procedure andrules on membership and partici-pation in its meetings. The SCTalso agreed on various workingarrangements which would bereviewed later, when appropriate.

As a result of a discussion to deter-mine a list of issues for considera-tion, the Committee decided that itshould immediately focus on ques-tions relating to well-known marks.The SCT then made substantialprogress on draft provisions onwell-known marks. These provi-sions dealt essentially with theconditions of protection of well-known marks against any unautho-rized use which would either createconfusion as to the origin of thegoods or services on which thesemarks are used, or dilute the repu-tation of such marks.

Subject to the reservation from oneparticipating delegation, it wasagreed that in the short term, itwould be recommended that theabove-mentioned provisionsbecome a resolution of the WIPOGeneral Assembly, once theCommittee agreed on a final ver-sion of the provisions. In the longterm, it would be preferable for theprovisions to be incorporated intoa treaty, perhaps with other relatedprovisions that are discussed else-where.

Although it deferred discussion atthis meeting, the SCT agreed thatthe issue of the use of trademarkson the Internet was of utmostimportance and should be givenfirst priority in the future.

The SCT also agreed to create anSCT Electronic Forum in order toaccelerate its work through theelectronic distribution and discus-sion of provisional documents. TheElectronic Forum is expected to beset up in the last quarter of 1998and will be accessible on the WIPOweb site. ■

activitiesThe Electronic Forum is expected to be set up

in the last quarter of 1998 and will be

accessible on the WIPO web site.

activitiesSC

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Information and DocumentManagement System

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(WIP

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The World Intellectual Property Organi-

zation (WIPO) is an intergovernmentalorganization with headquarters in Gene-va, Switzerland. It is one of the 16 Spe-cialized Agencies of the United NationsSystem of Organizations. WIPO isresponsible for the promotion of the pro-tection of intellectual property through-out the world, including the administra-tion of the Patent Cooperation Treaty(PCT) System. The PCT regulates the fil-ing and processing of international appli-cations for the protection of inventionswhere such protection is sought in sever-al countries. Since the beginning of itsoperation in 1978, the Office of the PCThas received, processed and publishedmore than 350,000 international patentapplications, of which over 54,000 werefiled in 1997.

During the 4th quarter of 1998, WIPO willissue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for amajor Automation Support System forthe Office of the PCT to pre-qualifiedSystems Integrators. This new systemwill enable the migration from a paper-based environment to an electronic envi-ronment for the filing, processing and

publishing of international applicationsunder the PCT. The objective is to imple-ment the system within a 3-year period,while maintaining daily operations.

Due to the broad scope of the project, the volumes involved and the technicalcomplexity of the environment, WIPOintends to select a Systems Integratorwho has demonstrable capability toassume overall responsibility for imple-menting this important system. For the first step of the selection processWIPO has prepared an EOI (ExpressionOf Interest) package that provides a briefdescription of the project, the pre-qualifi-cation criteria for potential partners, andresponse requirements. Responses to theEOI will allow WIPO to pre-qualify poten-tial Systems Integrators.

The EOI package is available from theWIPO Web site at the following address:

Expressions of interest concerning thePCT Automation Support System projectshould be received by WIPO not laterthan September 30, 1998.


Expression of Interest (EOI)

http://www.wipo.int/eng/pct/projects/eoi/index.htm


September 7 to 15 (Geneva)

October 5 to 9 (Geneva)

November 2 to 10 (Geneva)

November 9 (Geneva)

November 16 to 20 (Geneva)

December 7 to 11 (Geneva)

Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO (Thirty-Third Series

of Meetings)

Some of the assemblies will meet in extraordinary session, others in ordinary session. Invitations: As members or observers (depending on the assembly) the States members of WIPO; as observers, other States and certain organi-zations.

Preparatory Meeting for the Diplomatic Conference on the

Revision of the Hague Agreement

This meeting will deal with procedural aspects of the Diplomatic Conference, such as its date and venue, its draft agenda and its draftRules of Procedure.Invitations: As members, the States members of WIPO; as observers, certain intergovernmental organizations

Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (First Session)

The Committee will discuss issues concerning the development of copyrightand related rights, particularly the implementation of the WIPO CopyrightTreaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, the protectionof audiovisual performances, the protection of databases and the protectionof the rights of broadcasting organizations. Invitations: As members, the States members of WIPO and other delegationsthat the Committee may admit as members; as observers, other States andcertain organizations.

Panel Discussion on Intellectual Property and Aspects of Economic,

Social and Cultural Development

The Panel Discussion, organized in coordination with the Office of the HighCommissioner for Human Rights, will discuss issues concerning intellectualproperty rights and aspects of economic, social and cultural development. Invitations: The States members of WIPO, intergovernmental organizationsand certain interested organizations and specially invited experts.

Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (First session, second part)

The Committee will continue to discuss and consider issues to be dealt within the area of patent law, in particular, the draft Patent Law Treaty.Invitations: As members, the States members of WIPO and other delega-tions that the Committee may admit as members; as observers, other States and certain organizations.

Standing Committee on Information Technology (SCIT)

(Second Plenary Session)

The Committee will discuss policy matters and recommendations made by its Working Groups concerning the establishment of a global information network and its applications, including Intellectual PropertyDigital Libraries. Invitations: As members, the States members of WIPO and certain organi-zations; as observers, other States and certain organizations.

Calendar of Meetings


December 14 and 15 (Geneva)

December 16 to 18 (Geneva)

January 18 to 22 (Geneva)

January 25 to 27 (a.m.)

(Geneva)

January 25 to 27 (p.m.)

(Geneva)

Advisory Committee on Management of Copyright and Related

Rights in Global Information Networks (First Session)

The Advisory Committee will review the operation of those electronic copy-right management systems (ECMS) and electronic identification systemswhich exist or are under development.Invitations: Interested organizations and specially invited experts.

Group of Consultants on the Private International Aspects of the

Protection of Works and Objects of Related Rights Transmitted

Through Global Digital Networks

The group of consultants will discuss the above-mentioned aspects on the basis of two studies to be prepared by experts.Invitations: Specially invited experts and interested organizations

Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs

and Geographical Indications (Second Session)

The Committee will continue its work based upon the results achieved at its first session with regard to draft provisions on well-known marks and issues relating to trademarks and the Internet. Invitations: As members, the States members of WIPO and other delega-tions that the Committee may admit as members; as observers, other States and certain intergovernmental organizations.

Meeting of the Signatories of the WCT and the WPPT

The meeting will discuss the status of adhesion to, and implementation of, the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT). Invitations: As members, the representatives of the signatories of the WCT and the WPPT; as observers, States members of WIPO, other States and certain organizations.

International Workshop on the Implementation of the Provisions

of the WCT and the WPPT concerning Technological Measures

of Protection and Exceptions to, and Limitations on, Rights

The participants in the Workshop will discuss the above-mentioned issueson the basis of two studies to be prepared by experts.Invitations: As members, the States members of WIPO and other States,certain organizations and specially invited experts.

1999

Publications


In July and August, WIPO issued tho following new publications:

Nice, Vienna and Locarno Classifications on CD-ROM (English, French),(E/F), 60 Swiss francs.

Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks,Protocol and Regulations (as in force on January 1, 1998) (Chinese), No. 204(C), 127 pages, 15 Swiss francs.

Arrangement de Madrid concernant l’enregistrement international desmarques, protocole et règlement d’exécution (texte en vigueur le 1er janvier1998) (Italian), No. 204 (I), 128 pages, 15 Swiss francs.

WIPO General Information – July 1998 (English), No. 400(E), 17 pages, free.

Arrangement de La Haye concernant le dépôt international des dessins et modèles industriels : Objectifs, principales caractéristiques, avantages(French), (F), 8 pages, free.

El Arreglo de La Haya relativo al deposito internacional de dibujos ymodelos industriales: objetivos, caracteristicas principales, ventajas(Spanish), No. 419(S), 8 pages, free.

Introduction to Intellectual Property (Russian), No. 478(R), 652 pages, 50 Swiss francs.

Notice to Readers


WIPO publications may be obtained from the Information Products Section:

WIPO34, chemin des Colombettes P.O. Box 18CH-1211 Geneva 20Switzerlandphone: 41 22 338 91 11fax: 41 22 740 18 12e-mail: [email protected]

Orders should indicate: (a) the number or letter code of the publica-tion desired, the language (C for Chinese, E for English, F forFrench, I for Italian, R for Russian, and S for Spanish), the numberof copies; (b) the full address for mailing; (c) the mail mode (surfaceor air). Prices cover surface mail.Bank transfers should be made to WIPO account No. 487080-81, at the Swiss Credit Bank, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland.

WIPO’s monthly periodical, Industrial Property and Copyright, has under-gone the following changes:

■ Industrial Property and Copyright has been replaced by this, our newmonthly publication, WIPO Magazine, which covers the main activitiesof the Organization and provides in-depth articles on areas of interestand concern to the intellectual property community.

■ The legislative inserts (Industrial Property Laws and Treaties and Copy-right and Neighboring Rights Laws and Treaties) which were previouslyincluded in Industrial Property and Copyright, will be published in anew monthly publication, Intellectual Property Laws and Treaties,together with notifications under the treaties administered by WIPO,the list of membership in the said treaties, and advertisements.

■ Subscribers to Industrial Property and Copyright will receive both of these new publications.

Questions or comments about these changes may be directed to theOffice of Global Communications and Public Diplomacy, WIPO,34 chemin des Colombettes, P.O. Box 18, CH-1211 Geneva 20(Fax: 00 41 22 740 1812, e-mail: [email protected]).

wipo magazine, issue no. 7-8, 1998

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