Key Issues At This Week’s WIPO Committee On IP And Development Meeting

The World Intellectual Property Organization Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) meets this week with a full agenda, including guides on trademark licensing, open innovation networks, and IP commercialisation. Delegates are expected to approve new development project proposals and progress reports on existing projects. Also on the agenda is the spicy issue of coordination of the WIPO Development Agenda.

The sixteenth session of the CDIP will be held from 9-13 November.

A number of documents are expected to be presented for member states to take note. For example, member states are invited to take note of a guide on trademark licensing [pdf], in the context of a project on innovation and technology transfer support structure for national institutions.

Member states are also invited to take note of a guide [pdf] on the strategic management of open innovation networks, as well as a guide [pdf] on IP commercialisation, both issued in the context of the same project on innovation and technology transfer support structure for national institutions.

A document [pdf] containing progress reports on several Development Agenda projects is also on the agenda [pdf]. Among those projects is a pilot project on IP and design management for business development in developing and least developed countries, a project on IP and socio-economic development, and a project on IP and technology transfer. The CDIP is invited to take note of the document.

An evaluation report [pdf] on the project on IP and technology transfer: common challenges – building solutions is also expected to be noted by member states.

Project Proposals

A project proposal [pdf] on the use of information in the public domain for economic development is expected to be submitted for the approval of member states. The estimated cost of the project amounts to CHF 800,000 (US$ 803,000).

A thematic project proposal [pdf] on the cooperation on IP rights education and professional training with judicial training institutes in developing and Least-Developed Countries is also expected to be submitted to the approval of member states. The estimated cost of the project is CHF 500,000 (US$ 502,000).

The CDIP is further expected to take note of a document [pdf] prepared by the secretariat providing an update on the management response to the external review of WIPO technical assistance in the area of cooperation for development. The secretariat document provides updated information on the review recommendations that are already reflected in WIPO activities, or ongoing reform programs, ad recommendations that merit further consideration.

Post 2015 Development Agenda, Flexibilities

After a proposal by Mexico, the WIPO secretariat provided initial information [pdf] on possible courses of action as to how WIPO needs to adapt in order to help member states attain the goals of the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Another item on the agenda is a report [pdf] with an update on the WIPO database on flexibilities. According to WIPO, the database on flexibilities contains data drawn from WIPO documents on patents-related flexibilities in the multilateral legal framework and their legislative implementation at the national and regional levels. The database allows searches for implementation of flexibilities in national IP laws in selected jurisdictions, the WIPO website says.

Coordination Mechanism

Discussions on the coordination mechanism of the 2007 WIPO Development Agenda and implementation of the CDIP mandate have been going on for a long time. The WIPO General Assembly in October decided to follow the recommendation of the April session of the CDIP to continue discussing both issues.

In April, Mexico tabled a proposal [pdf] intended to advance the discussion about the coordination mechanism. The proposal sets out a possible systematisation of the compliance of committees with the coordination mechanism. It did not get approved by the CDIP (IPW, WIPO, 28 April 2015).

Algeria and Nigeria also submitted a document [pdf], based on a previous proposal [pdf] of the WIPO Development Agenda Group, listing proposed topics for discussion under a potential standing agenda item on IP and development in the CDIP (IPW, WIPO, 23 April 2015).

The CDIP is invited to take note on the decision taken by the WIPO General Assembly in October.

The coordination mechanism discussion includes an issue of which WIPO committees should report to the General Assembly on their implementation of the recommendations.

Another issue is the proposed creation of a standing agenda item in the CDIP relating to IP and development.

 

Image Credits: Catherine Saez