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All over the world, R&D and business activities are becoming increasingly global and borderless, and the securing of worldwide Intellectual Property (IP) protection is becoming an extremely important issue. IP protection is a key factor for promoting foreign investment and technology transfer, as well as for boosting a nation’s industrial development. It will also bring considerable economic benefits to Asia-Pacific nations. With the entry into force on January 1, 2000 of the obligation to implement the WTO/TRIPS Agreement* in developing countries, basic IP protection systems have been established in developing nations. Further improvements should be added to the IP protection systems in these countries as well as to their operation systems.
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The JPO considers it critical to ensure an adequate IPR protection system for economic growth of the region. It therefore extends cooperation in areas such as human resource development, computerization and information processing at IP offices, as well as in examinations and searches, including provision of examination results particularly to Asia-Pacific countries through various schemes such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) program and WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan**.
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* WTO/TRIPS Agreement
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On January 1, 1995, the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) was put into effect by the World Trade Organization (WTO). On April 23, 2004, Nepal acceded to the Agreement, and on October 13, 2004 Cambodia followed suite. Countries and regions with member status are total 148 as of February, 2005. While developed country members (around 30 countries), including Japan, were obligated to implement the agreement on January 1, 1996, developing country members were obligated to do so from January 1, 2000. The significance of this agreement lies in its ability to realize practical IPR protection through its provisions on the clarification of minimum protection standards as well as the enforcement regarding wide-ranging IPR fields to be established in member countries irrespective of their level of development.
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[Reference information]The WTO has been making open on the website (WTO Website) a report on technical cooperation activities which is aimed at enhancing the implementation of TRIPS Agreement. The website also introduces Japan Patent Office's technical cooperation activities as part of the information. You can also download the report through here (size: 82 kb, data form: MS-WORD, language: English, version: as of September 8, 2004)
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** WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan
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Since 1987, the Japanese government has been providing voluntary contributions to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO: a UN organization responsible for the protection of intellectual property throughout the world and the administration of various multilateral treaties, such as the creation of IPR rules, etc.). “WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan” was established with these voluntary funds and is used to finance various projects every year for WIPO member countries in the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), such as the holding of IP office conferences or symposia, acceptance of trainees and IPR research students, dispatch of JPO officials and support for automation and modernization of IP offices.
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Note: The fiscal year (FY) used on this page is the Japanese fiscal year from April 1 to March 31.
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