WTO-WIPO IP Training Course For Governments

The World Trade Organization and World Intellectual Property Organization are jointly offering a course this week on all aspects of intellectual property to a group of officials from developing countries and countries in transition, the WTO has said.

The course held at the two Geneva-based international organisations runs from 10-21 March, and covers a wide range of topics and is intended to be a capacity-building exercise.

According to WTO, 20 participants were selected from developing countries and countries with economies in transition, and their participation was financed by WIPO and WTO. Two additional officials from developed countries were also selected.

Participants are from: Armenia, Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Laos, Malawi, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Uganda.

More information is available here.

The agenda [pdf] includes:

• Setting the Policy Context: Intellectual Property and Public Policy in Developing Countries today

• Intellectual Property in a Trade Law and Developing Countries Setting

• Transparency for Policymakers: The WTO Notification System and the Current Policy Agenda

• Demonstration of Materials on Website

• Intellectual Property and Economic Development

• WIPO Development Agenda; International Policy Processes on IP and Development – UNCTAD perspective; International Policy Process on IP and Development – WTO perspective

• Copyright Overview: The Evolving International Landscape: Law, Policy and Development

• Copyright Exercises

• Trademarks and Industrial Designs: Law, Policy and Development

• Trademarks: The Evolving International Landscape

• Industrial Designs; the Evolving International Landscape

• International Registration and Promotion of Madrid System

• Geographical Indications – Overview of the Provisions in the Lisbon Agreement and Current Work in WIPO

• Geographical Indications – Overview of the provisions in the TRIPS Agreement and Current Work in the WTO

• WTO Delegates’ Perspective

• Patents – Evolving International Landscape: Law, Policy and Development and Patent Cooperation Treaty

• Exercise on Patents

• WTO Dispute Settlement and TRIPS

• Plant Variety Protection: Law, Policy and Development

• Resolving Intellectual Property Disputes without Court Litigation

• Dispute Settlement Reports and Discussion

• Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore – Evolving International landscape

and Future Directions

• Interaction with WIPO Officials on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building in the area of Intellectual Property

• Panel Discussion on Intellectual Property and Public Health – current debate: WTO, WIPO and WHO

• Implementation of Paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration – Exports Under a Compulsory Licence

• IP and Business

• Intellectual Property and Transfer of Technology

• Global IP Negotiations: present realities and future challenges

• Biotechnology and Patents: evolving international landscape

From the available materials, it appears the instructors for each section come mainly from WIPO and WTO.