The Third Japanese and Thai Commissioners Meeting

June 1999
International Affairs Division

(1) Regarding cooperation on counterfeit problems:

The Japanese delegation requested (1) the establishment of an effective information exchange system, (2) Thailand's acceptance of Japanese examiners, and (3) the sending of students and lecturers to third-country seminars.
The Thai delegation agreed.

(2) Becoming a member of the Paris Convention, the PCT, and the Madrid Agreement:

The Thai delegation replied that Thailand will study the issue with its affiliation next year in view following the enactment of a revision of the related law.

(3) Protection of patents of program recording media:

The Thai delegation requested information on the protection of patents of program recording media.   In response, the Japanese delegation offered examination guidelines regarding computer-related inventions at the meeting.

(4) Well-known trade marks in the APEC area:

The Japanese delegation requested that the well-known trade marks made public on the Internet be protected in Thailand.   The Japanese delegation also requested that Japan be provided with a list of well-known trade marks in Thailand.   The Thai delegation replied that Thailand will offer 100 well-known trade marks.

(5) Request for abolition of the notarial system for power of attorney:

The Thai delegation explained that the abolition is difficult because of the credibility issue and opposition from agents.

(6) Request for issuance of bulletins of trial and court decisions:

The Thai delegation explained that Thailand has already made public representative decisions on the Internet in Thai.

(7) Development of ASEAN Trade Mark Office activities:

The Thai delegation replied that ASEAN trade mark application system is scheduled to start working by January 2000 and that Thailand will be able to join the ASEAN intellectual property group as an observer.

(8) Cooperation in examinations:

The Japanese delegation made it clear that Japan will cooperate in patent examinations this year as it did last year.

(9) Cooperation on Thailand's intellectual property library:

Recognizing the importance of the intellectual property library for the spread of the intellectual property system, the Japanese delegation made it clear that Japan will cooperate within the framework of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) projects.

(10) Cooperation with the Thai intellectual property training center:

The Japanese delegation will urge the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to give the Thai center generous support.

(11) Future cooperation:

The Japanese delegation explained that WIPO experts will be sent to Thailand to evaluate the present status of the patent application procedures so that WIPO can assess the necessity for cooperation on the basis of their report.

(12) Review of APEC/PFP program:

The Japanese delegation will request the patent office officials sent to the seminar to be held in August as coordinators to provide full cooperation. The next meeting will be held in (Chiang Mai), Thailand, in 2000.