WIPO Ratcheting up "IP" Mobilization

(Just to put the fear of God into everyone.  Heh.  The latest from the WIPO
Press Information list.  -- Seth)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Update 195/2003:  WIPO boosts intellectual property cooperation
with OECD countries
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 16:35:00 +0200 (CEST)
From: [email protected]
Organization: WIPO
To: [email protected]

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Update 195/2003
Geneva, May 22, 2003

WIPO BOOSTS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COOPERATION WITH OECD COUNTRIES

The first ever Forum on Intellectual Property and Small and Medium-sized
Enterprises (SMEs) for Intellectual Property Offices of the OECD, held at
the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva from May
20-23, 2003, provided an interactive platform for participants to share
policies, practices and experiences on their respective outreach and support
activities concerning intellectual property for universities, entrepreneurs,
industry and business. Participants, from fifteen Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, agreed to intensify future
collaborative efforts in this area.

A number of presentations to the Forum showed that, while much innovative
work is being done by a number of intellectual property offices, significant
work remains to be done in view of the generally low level of awareness
about the role and relevance of the intellectual property system for
enterprise competitiveness in OECD countries and the world.

The Forum was opened by Mrs. Rita Hayes, Deputy Director General of WIPO,
who highlighted the importance of SMEs to the economies of the OECD
countries, and the continuing need for more effective use of the tools
offered by the intellectual property system for wealth creation to spur
growth, competitiveness, sustainable employment creation and exports in a
globalizing economic environment. Referring to the vision and strategic
direction of Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of WIPO, in creating a new
focus on the IP needs and concerns of SMEs worldwide, Mrs. Hayes outlined
the approach of the SMEs Division to meet the challenges in demystifying
intellectual property for SMEs worldwide. In his keynote speech to the
Forum, Mr. Philippe Petit, Deputy Director General of WIPO, outlined the
various ways in which OECD countries contribute to, and participate in, the
various activities carried out by WIPO. The opening of the WIPO coordination
Office in Brussels, was mentioned as a sign of the willingness of WIPO to
intensify relationships with OECD countries belonging, or in the process of
acceding to, the European Union.

The presentations made during the Forum are available on the website of the
SMEs Division of WIPO at www.wipo.int/sme. These included presentations by
the representatives of the fifteen of the thirty national Intellectual
Property Offices in the OECD, apart from those made by the representative of
the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM).

The Forum dealt with eight inter-related themes, namely: (1) Outreach and
Support Programs for University and Incubators (2) Outreach and Support
Programs for Entrepreneurs and SMEs (3) Studies/Research on Use of IP System
by SMEs (4) Marketing of the Services of IP Offices (5) E-Learning Programs
on IP for Entrepreneurs, Engineers, Managers, etc, (6) Patent Information
Services (7) Electronic Filing (of applications concerning Utility Models,
Patents, Trademarks, and Industrial Designs), and (8) International
Benchmarking and Evaluation of Outreach Activities of the IP Offices.

Forum participants agreed to meet at WIPO every alternate year, with the
intervening period being utilized for collaborating on a number of projects,
based on the themes discussed. It was also agreed that in the intervening
years, at least one theme-based meeting would be organized, on a rotational
basis, in one of the OECD countries. Also, it was agreed that the existing
on-line Web Forum, created and maintained by the SMEs Division of WIPO,
would remain the principal tool for interacting amongst the IP offices of
the OECD countries to brain-storm and share ideas and experiences.

For more information and useful material on IP for SMEs visit the web site
of the SMEs Division of WIPO, and subscribe to the monthly free e-newsletter
of the SMEs Division or contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs
Section at WIPO:  Tel: + 41 22 338 8161 or 9547; e-mail: [email protected].


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