FITUG e.V.
Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft
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http://www.wipo.int/eng/pressrel/2000/p227.htm
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