[Ecommerce] WIPO Press Release on Casablanca meeting

[Thiru Balasubramaniam]

Earlier today, we posted a Statement of the Group of Friends of
Development which includes the following WIPO Member States: Argentina,
Brazil, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Kenya,
Peru, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Venezuela) in response to
a press update "released at the end of informal consultations by some
participants who took part in a meeting held in Casablanca, Morocco, on
February 16, 2005 convened by the International Bureau of WIPO."

The initial press update from the informal consultation convened by the
International Bureau of WIPO is enclosed below.


Thiru Balasubramaniam



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http://www.wipo.int/edocs/prdocs/en/2005/wipo_upd_2005_241.html


      Update 241

*Geneva, February 18, 2005*





      MEETING RECOMMENDS FUTURE COURSE OF ACTION FOR WIPO WORK PROGRAM

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, expressed satisfaction this week at the outcome
of informal consultations on the future work of WIPO=92s Standing
Committee on Patents, which is working to build consensus on a treaty
that seeks to harmonize patent laws around the world. Following a
decision by WIPO member states in autumn 2004, the Director General of
WIPO convened informal consultations concerning future sessions of the
Standing Committee of Patents (SCP) in Casablanca, Morocco, on February
16, 2005.

=93The Casablanca consultations were very positive and fruitful and
resulted in a boost for the whole work program of WIPO, particularly,
substantive patent law, traditional knowledge, folklore and issues
related to genetic resources and the proposed WIPO Development Agenda,=94
Dr. Idris said. =93The constructive approach taken during the
consultations will, I believe, go a long way in resolving outstanding
issues in all these important areas and demonstrates a commitment to
multilateralism,=94 Dr. Idris added.

A copy of the statement adopted by participants at the end of the
meeting is below:


      *Statement Adopted at the End of Informal Consultations
      in Casablanca on February 16, 2005*

1. Following the mandate given to him by the WIPO General Assembly in
September 2004, the Director General of WIPO convened informal
consultations concerning future sessions of the Standing Committee of
Patents (SCP) in Casablanca, Morocco, on February 16, 2005. The
consultations were attended by delegates from Brazil, Chile, China,
France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Russian
Federation, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America,
African Regional Industrial Property Organization (ARIPO), Eurasian
Patent Office (EAPO), European Patent Office (EPO), African Intellectual
Property Organization (OAPI) and the European Union. Dr. R.A. Mashelkar,
Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR) and Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial
Research in India, chaired the consultations.

2. The consultations were held in a positive spirit. The delegates
strongly endorsed the importance of multilateralism, in particular, in
WIPO. The consultations resulted in the development of a proposed action
plan for the near future.

3. There was broad agreement that the objectives of the future work
program of the SCP should be to address issues with a view to improving
the quality of granted patents, thus avoiding unwarranted encroachments
on the public domain, and to reducing unnecessary duplication of work
among Patent Offices, which should produce benefits by making the patent
system more accessible and cost-effective.

4. In order to achieve these objectives, the meeting agreed that the
following six issues should be addressed in an accelerated manner within
WIPO with a view to progressive development and codification of
international intellectual property law: prior art, grace period,
novelty, inventive step, sufficiency of disclosure and genetic
resources. These issues should be addressed in parallel, accelerated
processes, the first four issues (prior art, grace period, novelty and
inventive step) in the SCP and the other two issues (sufficiency of
disclosure and genetic resources) in the Intergovernmental Committee on
Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and
Folklore (IGC). Each of the SCP and the IGC should agree on a timetable
and report progress on the development of their discussions of the
issues to the other.

5. The meeting underlined the importance of the continued active pursuit
of discussions and work within WIPO on issues related to development and
intellectual property so that a robust, effective and actionable WIPO
Development Agenda could emerge.

6. The meeting recommended to the Director General of WIPO

    (a) to call on Member States for proposals on the International
    Development Agenda for discussion at the April 2005 session of the
    Intersessional Intergovernmental Meeting (IIM),

    (b) to convene the next session of the SCP in May 2005 to consider
    and endorse the objectives and work program set out above,

    (c) to convene the next session of the IGC in June 2005 to consider
    and endorse the objectives and work program set out above, and

    (d) to transmit the decisions of the above meetings to the General
    Assembly in September 2005 for its consideration, including a time
    frame for the conclusion of these issues within WIPO.

7. The meeting expressed its warm thanks and gratitude to the
authorities of the Kingdom of Morocco for hosting the consultations.

The delegate of Brazil did not associate himself with the foregoing text.

For further information please contact the Media Relations and Public
Affairs Section at WIPO:

    tel: + 41 22 338 8161 or 9547;
    e-mail: _ publicinf@wipo.int <MAILTO:publicinf@wipo.int>_*.*