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[FYI] WIPO: POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSION CONSIDERS WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DECLARATION
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- Subject: [FYI] WIPO: POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSION CONSIDERS WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DECLARATION
- From: "Axel H Horns" <horns@ipjur.com>
- Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 00:28:33 +0200
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http://www.wipo.int/eng/pressrel/2000/p227.htm
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Press Release PR/2000/227
Geneva, June 15, 2000
POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSION CONSIDERS WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
DECLARATION
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Policy Advisory
Commission agreed on Thursday on the need to send a strong message to
the international community about the value of intellectual property
as a tool for promoting wealth creation as well as economic, social
and cultural development. The morning session of the meeting was
chaired by HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. The former
President of the Philippines, Mr. Fidel Ramos, chaired the afternoon
session.
The basis of discussions at the one day meeting was a draft "World
Intellectual Property Declaration," initiated by Japan’s Vice
Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Industry,
Mr. Hisamitsu Arai, and further elaborated by a task force of the
PAC. The draft Declaration recognizes the universal relevance of
intellectual property in today’s knowledge-based societies. It
reasserts the historical, cultural, social and economic value of
intellectual property since the earliest days of history. The draft
Declaration further highlights the importance of intellectual
property rights which provide incentives to creators, urges that
users have equal access to the benefits of creativity, and underlines
their contribution to the creation of wealth for all. The draft
Declaration recommends a series of activities to promote public
awareness, dissemination of value-added intellectual property
information and better international registration services. Also,
there should be activities to promote effective use of intellectual
property and the protection of cultural diversity.
Members of the PAC commented on the draft text and agreed to pursue
consultations over the next few weeks with a view to adopting the
Declaration. It was agreed that after adoption by the PAC, the
Declaration would be presented to the Assemblies of WIPO at their
annual meetings in September.
WIPO Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, thanked the members of the
Commission for their contribution to the PAC and observed that in the
not so distant past, intellectual property issues were not on the
agenda of policy makers. "Not too long ago, intellectual property was
not in the vocabulary of many policy makers let alone a part of their
policy strategies. It is a policy strategy today," he underlined. Dr.
Idris also stressed that intellectual property had also become a
business strategy for business leaders today. He said a company’s
greatest assets are intangibles. The value of these is captured
through the intellectual property system.
The President of Bulgaria, Mr.Petar Stoyanov, reaffirmed the
importance of intellectual property as a tool for wealth creation and
economic, social and cultural development. He underlined the
importance of demystifying intellectual property rights which, he
said, "for many people and countries ... represent a new concept".
"We need to foster a culture of respect for intellectual property
rights." he added. Commenting on the role of intellectual property as
a tool for wealth creation, he stressed that the intellectual
property system presented a unique opportunity to reward "creative
and innovative individuals for translating ideas into tangible
products and business thus turning them into income and employment,
contributing to economic development and the generation of wealth".
He said, "adequate protection of intellectual property rights is an
incentive to invent and a disincentive to copy. It is up to
governments and policy makers to create a business and economic
environment favoring and promoting creativity and innovation," he
added.
PAC members also discussed a paper on the role of WIPO in a changing
world presented by Mr. Henry Olsson, Special Government Advisor at
the Swedish Ministry of Justice. The paper addresses the main
controversial issues today in the field of intellectual property such
as patent protection for plants, pharmaceuticals, and genes and
indicates what the answers to them could be as well as how WIPO could
tackle these issues. Members of the PAC suggested that WIPO should
study and consider both the positive aspects of and the problems
posed by the intellectual property system. Also, they proposed that
the intellectual property aspects of biotechnology and traditional
knowledge should be brought to the attention of key policy makers and
remain high on WIPO’s agenda.
In addition, presentations were made by senior WIPO officials on the
Organization’s work in the area of patent law harmonization, the WIPO
World Wide Academy, WIPONET, and public outreach efforts.
The second meeting of the PAC was attended by:
Mr. Jorge AMIGO CASTAÑEDA Jorge, Director General, Mexican Industrial
Property Institute, Mexico
Mr. Hisamitsu ARAI , Vice-Minister for International Affairs,
Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Japan,
Mr. Amara ESSY, former State Minister and Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Côte d’Ivoire,
Mr. Mayer, GABAY Mayer, First Vice President, United Nations
Administrative Tribunal, and Chairman, Patent and Copyright Laws
Revision Committees, Ministry of Justice, Israel,
Ms. Arundhati GHOSE , Member, Union Public Service Commission, India,
and former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India,
Permanent Mission of India in Geneva,
Mr. Walter Gyger, Switzerland’s Ambassador to India,
His Royal Highness, Prince El-HASSAN Bin Talal, Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan,
Mr. Abdelbaki HERMASSI, Minister for Culture, Tunisia,
Mr. Wilhelm HÖYNCK, former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of
Germany, Permanent Mission of Germany in Geneva,
Mr. Lakshman KADIRGAMAR, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka,
Mr. Bruce LEHMAN, President, International Intellectual Property
Institute, and former Assistant Secretary for Commerce and
Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, United States of America,
Mr. Henry OLSSON, Special Government Advisor, Ministry of Justice,
Sweden, and former Director of Copyright Department, WIPO
Mr. Philippe PETIT, Permanent Representative of France to the United
Nations in Geneva
Mr. Marino PORZIO, Attorney, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Chile, and Chairman of the Assemblies of Member States of
WIPO,
Mt. QIAO Zonghuai, Ambassador, Permanant Mission of the People's
Republic of China in Geneva,
Mr. Fidel RAMOS, former President, Philippines,
Mr. Vasily SIDOROV, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the
Russian Federation, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation in
Geneva,
Mr. Petar STOYANOV, President of the Republic of Bulgaria,
Mr. John WEEKES, Chairman, Global Trade Practice, APCO Worldwide, and
former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada, Permanent
Mission of Canada in Geneva,
The PAC, made up of eminent personalities from the fields of
politics, diplomacy, law and public administration is mandated to
enhance WIPO's capacity to monitor and respond in a timely, informed
and effective manner to international and regional developments in
intellectual property, in information technology and in other fields
bearing on WIPO's operations and its policy environment. The insights
offered by members of the PAC help to ensure that the Organization
remains relevant to the changing realities of the modern world and
provide invaluable assistance in the Organization's quest to
demystify intellectual property. The Commission is a purely advisory
body designed to assist the Director General in identifying policies
to deal with new and emerging trends in intellectual property.
For further information, please contact the Media Relations and
Public Affairs Section at WIPO: Tel: (+41 22) 338 81 61; (+41 22) 338
95 47; Fax: (+41 22) 338 88 10;
E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int
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