COOPERATION IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

ASEAN cooperation in intellectual property took significant steps forward in 1994. An Ad-hoc Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation was formed in September 1994. The tasks of the Working Group, among others, is to formulate an ASEAN Framework Agreement on Intellectual Property Cooperation. The Working Group has been actively pursuing their tasks in the last seven months. Consequently, a draft Framework Agreement was formulated in January 1995, taking into account regional and international developments especially the Implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs). The Working Group is no, in the process of finalizing the draft for consideration,, ad adoption at the 27th AEM in September 1995.

ASEAN continued to work closely with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), to strengthen the legislative framework of intellectual property protection in the region. The activities of the first ASEAN-WIPO Programme, implemented in January 1993, were completed during the same year. A new ASEAN-WIPO medium-term programme was adopted during the Second ASEAN-WIPO Consultative Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on 10 June 1994. This new programm consisted of nine activities to be covered over a period of two to three years. Several of these activities have taken place. Among them ere (i) the successful conclusion of the WIPO-ASEAN Round Table on Comparative Intellectual Property Systems of ASEAN Member Countries held in Jakarta on 14-16 September 1994; (ii) the commencement in October 1994 to feature regularly a section in the ASEAN Update on �Review o WIPO Activities in ASEAN�; (iii) the provision. of inputs by WIPO to assist ASEAN in formulating the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Intellectual Property Cooperation; (iv) the conduct of a study by WIPO on the impact and Implications of intellectual property developments on AFTA; and (v) the on- going activities by WIPO to organize appropriate national or ASEAN meetings/ seminars on issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Concurrent to the ASEAN - WIPO cooperation programme, ASEAN is also actively pursuing cooperation. activities with the Europea. Union (EU) and Japan. During the year, progress were made in the modernization of patents and trademarks administration in the region under the ASEAN-EU Programme on Patents and Trademarks (ECAP). Efforts were also made to pursue human resource development in the area of intellectual property under the ASEAN - Japan Intellectual Property Cooperation Programme. With the implementation of these cooperation programmes, ASEAN 's exploring the possibility of establishing system of common registration of trademarks and patents on an ASEAN-wide basis through the setting up of an ASEAN Trademark Office and an ASEAN Patent Office.