WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONIP/C/W/408
6 November 2003
(03-5947)
Council for Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property RightsOriginal:  English
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS
JAPAN
The present document reproduces the updated information on Japan's technical and financial
cooperation relevant to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement, which has been received from
the Permanent Mission of Japan by mean s of a communication dated 23 October 2003.
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I. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL
PROPERTY RIGHTS
1. Voluntary contributions for WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan
Since 1987, the Government of Japan (GOJ) has been providing voluntary contributions in
the field of industrial property to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).  The "WIPO
Funds-in-Trust/Japan" (FIT/JP) in the field of industrial property was established with these voluntary
funds and is used annually to finance various projects for WIPO member countries in the Economicand Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), such as the holding of IP office conferences or
symposia, acceptance of trainees and IPR research students, dispatch of Japan Patent Office (JPO)
officers and support for automation and modernization of IP offices.  The voluntary fund for Japanese
fiscal year (FY) 2003 accounts for ¥178.21 million.
2. Human Resources Development
(a) Training Programme
In order to support developing countries obligated to implement the TRIPS Agreement, Japan
has been receiving trainees.  Between April 1996 and March 2003, Japan received 1653 trainees in
both public and private sectors mainly from 42 countries and one economy in the Asia-Pacific region.In the future, with the goal of efficient implementation of laws in mind, Japan is scheduled to proceed
with human resource development activities emphasizing the area of enforcement of intellectual
property rights.
(i) Training programmes for government officialsThe JPO has been holding group training courses on industrial property rights for government
officials.  In FY 2002, the following five group training courses were held:IP/C/W/408
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For APEC member economies
- "Group Training Course in Intellectual Property for APEC Economies" is a one-
month course for administrative officials working in areas related to IPR and
examiners of IPR.  Participants are divided into three groups according to theirspecialities:  administration, patents and utility models, and trademarks.
This training course was implemented by Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) in cooperation with the JPO and the Asia -Pacific Industrial Property Center (APIC) of
the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (JIII).
For the ESCAP region- "Training Course on the Enforcement of IPR under WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a
two-week course for senior officials engaged in the enforcement of IPR in
enforcement-related government agencies.
- "Training Course on the Use of Information Technology in IP Administration under
WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a two-week c ourse for senior officials of IP offices
responsible for information technology matters.
- "Training Course on the Examination Practices of Industrial Property under WIPO
Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a three-week course for examiners in the field of IPR.
Participants are divided into three groups according to their specialities:  patents and
utility models, industrial designs, and trademarks.
- "Training Course on Industrial Property Administration under WIPO
Funds-in-Trust/Japan" is a two-week course for senior officials in IP offices in charge
of general administration and policy planning.
These four training courses are managed by the JPO and organized by the WIPO in
cooperation with the APIC of JIII.
(ii) Training programmes for the private sectorThe JPO has also been holding the following group training courses on industrial property
rights for trainees from the private sector:
For APEC member economies- "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Management".
Participants of this two-week course occupy middle and senior management
personnel positions or their equivalent in private companies, law firms, researchinstitutes and educational organizations.
- "Industrial Property Rights Training Course for Operational Staff".
Participants of the course are operational staff in private companies, law firms,
research institutes and educational organizations.  This three-week course is held five
times a year.
- "Industrial Property Rights Tr aining Course for Lawyers".IP/C/W/408
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Participants of this three-week course are law staff or lawyers in law firms and
specialists of industrial property law in educational organizations.
For non-APEC economies
- "Training Programme on Industrial Property Management".
The participants occupy middle and senior management positions or their equivalent
in private companies, law firms, research institutes and educational organizations.
The course is for two weeks.
These training courses are conducted by the APIC of JIII with the assistance of the
Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS).
(b) Long-term fellowship
Under the long-term fellowship project funded  by WIPO FIT/JP in FY 2002, one trainee,
each from Iran and the Philippines, was invited to Japan to study intellectual property issues for aperiod of six months.  In FY 2002, the JPO accepted one long-term trainee, each from China and
Viet Nam, for about six months under an independent project.
(c) Seminar on Intellectual Property Rights for IP-Enforcement Staff Members
The JPO has held an enforcement seminar as a third country training programme aimed at
developing human resources engaged in IPR enforcement and supporting relevant enlightenment and
dissemination of IPR systems in the Asia-Pacifi c region.  The seminar programme included basic
lectures on IPRs, presentations by participant countries on the present status of enforcement in their
respective countries, and information exchanges.
One seminar was held in China in December 2002, and the other was held in Singapore in
January 2003.
(d) Expert missions
Experts and seminar instructors specializing in various areas of IPRs are dispatched by the
JPO through WIPO FIT/JP and JICA mainly for periods of about two weeks.  The dispatched experts
mainly provide on-site instruction regarding exam ination practices, computerization, PCT practices
and so forth.
JICA also dispatches JPO officials as long-term experts in order to engage in JICA technical
cooperation project being implemented in the IP office of the respective recipient countries and as
individual experts on industrial property right administration.
In FY 2002, 9 experts were dispatched under the WIPO scheme and 17 under the JICA
scheme (long-term: six persons /short-term:  11 persons).
(e) Symposia
Major symposia, etc., in FY 2002 funded by the WIPO FIT/JP are as shown below.IP/C/W/408
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Title Venue/Date Theme Participants
WIPO Asian Regional
Forum
(Director-General level
talks on regional IP
policies)The Republic of
the Philippines,
December 2002The Role of Intellectual
Property Offices forEconomic and
Technological
Developmentabout 40 participants
from 21 Asia-Pacificcountries and local
participants
WIPO Asian Regional
WorkshopThe Kingdom of
Thailand
February 2003The Enforcement of
Intellectual Property
Rights (IPRs)36 participants from 21
Asia-Pacific countries
and local participants.
WIPO Asian RegionalSymposiumThe Democratic
Socialist
Republic of
Sri Lanka
January 2003The Promotion of
Intellectual Property
Awareness through
Public Outreach32 participants from 20
Asia-Pacific countries
and local participants
*WIPO Asian Sub-Regional WorkshopThe Republic of
Indonesia
FY 2003The benefits of the
Madrid and HagueSystems for Developing
Countries40 participants from 10
Asia-Pacific countriesand local participants
*WIPO Asian RegionalSymposiumThe Republic of
India
FY 2003The Protection of
GeographicalIndications40 participants from 23
Asia-Pacific countriesand local participants
*) These programmes are to be implemented in FY 2003.
3. Computerization and Information Processing
(a) Modernization of Industrial Property Administration Project in the Philippines
The JPO carried out technology transfer and human resource development for modernization
of industrial property right administrative procedures of the Intellectual Property Office of the
Philippines from May 1999 to May 2003, through establishing the database, the system applicable to
the old law, PCT and patent administrative procedure.
(b) Modernization of Industrial Property Administration Project in Viet Nam
In April 2000, the JPO began the "Modernization of Industrial Property Administration
Project in Viet Nam", a four-year project for the modernization of administrative procedure at the
National Office of Industrial Property of Viet Nam.  This project is aimed at developing human
resources through the automation of the administrative works.
(c) Industrial Property Rights Information Center (IPIC) Project in Thailand
The JPO cooperation with JICA helped to establish the Industrial Property Information Center
(IPIC) in the Department of Intellectual Property of Thailand in 1995.  The JPO helped establish an
industrial property right automation system and provided assistance, until June 2000, to provide and
promote industrial property right information to users.IP/C/W/408
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(d) Support for Utilisation of Information Tec hnology through JICA Development Studies in
Malaysia
The JPO also carries out development studies in cooperation with JICA, such as that
regarding construction of an industrial design system for the Intellectual Property Corporation of
Malaysia.
(e) Provision of the "Patent Abstracts of Japan (PAJ)" on CD-ROM
Since 1995, the JPO has been providing about 85 national offices and other organizations all
over the world with the PAJ, which is a collection of abstracts of Japanese patent applicationstranslated into English, on CD-ROM.
(f) Project for Production of CD-ROMs containing laws and regulations related to intellectual
property rights
In order to assist intellectual property offices in developing countries in which domestic laws
on intellectual property rights are being established, the JPO has been engaged in the "Project to
Assist in Gathering Information Related to Over seas Industrial Property Right Systems." Under this
programme, laws and regulations related to the industrial property rights of major developed and
developing countries are translated into English, if necessary, and recorded on CD-ROM, to which asearch function is added.
In fiscal year 2002, industrial property right laws (including laws and enforcement rules) from
a total of 54 countries and a total of 14 international agreements were recorded on CD-ROM and
provided without charge to developing countries, mainly in the APEC region.  Information from theArgentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgiu m, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India,
Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtens tein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico,
the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Peru, Portugal, the Republic of Korea,
Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland,
Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, Viet Nam,
Benelux Union, Budapest Treaty, Eurasia Patent Office, EPO, European Community, MadridAgreement & Protocol, NAFTA, Paris Convention, PC T, Trademark Law Treaty, and TRIPS.  The
JPO intends to increase the number of countries and laws covered under this programme.
4. Assistance in Search and Examination
WIPO/State-of-the-Art-Search es for Developing Countries
The JPO provides search reports for which prior art search was requested by industrial
property offices or research institutes of developing countries through the WIPO International Bureau.
The JPO created search reports on approximately 100 applications per year from FY 1998 and
sent them to requesting developing countries through the WIPO/IB.
II. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF COPYRIGHT
The Japan Copyright Office (JCO) has been planning and carrying out the following
programmes with a view to contributing to th e development of copyright systems in developing
countries as well as to strengthening regional cooperation among Asia-Pacific countries.IP/C/W/408
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1. APACE Programme
This programme, which is called "APACE (Asia-Pacific Copyright Systems Enhancement)
Programme," was started in 1993 in cooperation with WIPO, targeting Asia-Pacific countries.  The
APACE Programme consists of the following six activities:
(a) Annual Regional Symposium (since 1993)
Year Venue Participants
1993 Tokyo, Japan 100 participants from 19 countries
1994 Phuket, Thailand 60 participants from 22 countries
1995 Denpasar, Indonesia 100 participants from 17 countries
1996 Chiang Mai, Thailand 60 participants from 23 countries
1997 Manila, the Philippines 100 participants from 27 countries
1998 Islamabad, Pakistan 70 participants from 24 countries
1999 New Delhi, India 80 participants from 21 countries
2001 Guangzhou, China 160 participants from 24 countries
2001 Mumbai, India 80 participants from 18 countries
2003 Jakarta, Indonesia 120 participants from 23 countries
(b) Training Programme in Tokyo, Japan (since 1994)
Year Participants
1994 5 trainees from China, India, Indonesia and Mongolia
1995 4 trainees from the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam
1996 5 trainees from Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Tonga
1997 8 trainees from Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines and
the Republic of Korea
1998 8 trainees from Cambodia, Fiji, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Samoa, Thailand, and
Viet Nam
1999 12 trainees from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, China, India, Indonesia,
Laos, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka
2000 14 trainees from Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal,
Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vanuatu and Viet Nam
2001 17 trainees from China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, the
Philippines, Samoa and Thailand
2002 10 trainees from Brunei Darussalam, China, Fiji, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, the
Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam
(c) Sub-Regional Seminar (since 1995)
Year Venue Participants
1995 Suva, Fiji 30 participants from 12 countries
1997 Nuku'alofa, Tonga 30 participants from 10 countries
1998 Apia, Samoa 80 participants from 13 countries
2000 Apia, Samoa 50 participants from 13 countriesIP/C/W/408
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(d) Experts Missions (since 1999)
This programme was started in 1999, in order to assist the countries in developing and
strengthening infrastructure for the protection and management of copyright and neighbouring rights.
Year Venue
1999 The Philippines and Viet Nam
2000 Samoa and Sri Lanka
2001 Mongolia
2002 Fiji
2003 Indonesia, Mongolia and Viet Nam
(e) Training on Collective Management
This programme was started in 2000, which is on-the-job training for staffs of collective
management organizations or government officials in developing countries.
Year Country
2000 The Philippines
2001 Indonesia and Mongolia
2002 Bhutan, China, Fiji, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam
(f) National Seminar on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights
This programme was started in 2000, in order to promote awareness of the protection of
copyright and neighbouring rights and the role it can play in cultural and economic development of
developing countries.
Year Venue
2000 Nepal, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Indonesia
2001 Mongolia
2002 Fiji
2003 Mongolia and Nepal
2. Asian Copyright Experts Invitation Programme
This programme was started in 1996 to invite each year a high official in charge of copyright
from governments of Asian countries.  Lecture and discussion meetings are organized, invitingJapanese experts, to share information and learn from each other.  The guests have been invited from
the following countries.
Year Country
1996 Thailand
1997 The Republic of Korea
1998 Hong Kong, China
1999 Singapore
2000 China
2002 China
2003 ChinaIP/C/W/408
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3. Asia-Pacific Copyright and Ne ighbouring Rights Seminar
This programme was started in 1997, to provide participating copyright experts of
Asia-Pacific countries with opportunities to exchange information and viewpoints as well as to
discuss possible regional common positions and/or actions in the future. It was organized in
cooperation with APEC in 2001.
Year Venue Participants
1997 Yokohama, Japan 40 participants from 7 countries
1998 Tokyo, Japan 80 participants from 14 countries and 3 NGOs
1999 Tokyo, Japan 80 participants from 26 countries and 3 NGOs
2000 Tokyo, Japan 100 participants from 25 countries and 3 NGOs
2001 Tokyo, Japan 110 participants from 20 countries (APEC members)
2002 Tokyo, Japan 90 participants from 26 countries and 3 NGOs
2003 Tokyo, Japan 90 participants from 13 countries (ASEAN + 3 members)
4. JICA Group Training Course
This JICA training course started in 1999 in cooperation with JCO, to contribute to the
copyright systems development.
Year Participants
1999 7 trainees from Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and
Zambia
1999 7 trainees from Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea (2) and Tonga
2000 7 trainees from Colombia, Kenya, Moldova, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Saudi Arabia
and Solomon Islands
2001 7 trainees from Ghana, Kenya, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Saudi Arabia and
Vanuatu
2002 7 trainees from Cambodia, China, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Saudi Arabia and Viet Nam
2003 6 trainees from Bhutan, Fiji, Indonesia, Myanmar, Panama and Zambia
III. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL  COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF PLANT
VARIETY PROTECTION
Through the UPOV Trust Fund of Japan, the GOJ has supported a programme which provides
Asian countries with seminars and workshops on plant variety protection systems.
The seminars have been held since FY 1991 for the purpose of contributing to the promotion
and establishment of the plant variety protection systems.  And the workshop scheme has been held
since Japanese FY 1996, in order to provide some practical knowledge and technique relating to the
plant variety protection.  In addition, the regional technical meeting for Asian plant variety protection
system has been set up since Japanese FY 2000 in order to discuss regional technical issues and to
promote regional cooperation in variety testing.
Details of the seminars and the workshops which have been held are as follows:IP/C/W/408
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International Seminars
Year Venue Participants
1996 Kyrgyz
Republic10 participants from Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Russian
Federation, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan
1999 China 10 participants from Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of
Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam
Regional Seminars
Year Venue Participants
1991 Japan 14 participants from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, the
Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand
1992 The Republic
of Korea13 participants from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand
1993 China 18 participants from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and the Republic of Korea
1995 Indonesia 16 participants from Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the
Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam
1996 Viet Nam 7 participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and
Thailand
National Seminars
Year Venue
1994 China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Philippines
1996 India and Bangladesh
2000 The Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia
2002 India
Workshops
Year Venue Participants Note
1997 Australia 64 participants from Asia-Pacific
countriesIn cooperation with Asia
Pacific Seed Association(APSA)
1998 The United
Kingdom14 participants from China, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of
Korea, Thailand and Viet NamIn cooperation with WIPO
1999 The United
Kingdom7 participants from Bangladesh, China,
India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and ThailandIn cooperation with WIPO
2000 Japan 10 participants from China, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Republic ofKorea, Thailand and Viet Nam
2001 China 18 participants from India, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Republic of Korea, and
Viet Nam
2002 The
Republic
of Korea19 participants from Bangladesh,
Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan,IP/C/W/408
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Year Venue Participants Note
the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and
Viet Nam
2003 The
Philippines17 participants from Bangladesh, China,
Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s
Democratic Republic, Malaysia,
Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Republic
of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand andViet Nam
Regional Technical Meetings
Year Venue Participants
2000 Japan 10 participants from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, the
Republic of Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam
2001 China 18 participants from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the
Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Republic of Korea, and Viet Nam
2002 The Republic
of Korea19 participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines,
Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam
2003 The Philippines 17 participants from Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India,
Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia,
Myanmar, Nepal, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and
Viet Nam
1. JICA Group Training Course
This JICA training course was started in 2000 in cooperation with NCSS (National Center for
Seed and Seedling) to contribute to the establishment of  breeder’s rights protection systems.
Year Participants
2000 10 trainees from Bolivia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Kenya,
Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam
2001 10 trainees from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines (2),
Thailand, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe
2002 10 trainees from Bolivia, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, the
Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam
2003 10 trainees from Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius,
the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam
IV. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF BORDER
MEASURE
Since fiscal year 1996, the Ministry of Finance of the GOJ has provided a training course in the
field of border measures for the enforcement of intellectual property rights.  The main purpose of thisprogramme is to assist in the smooth implementation of the TRIPS Agreement by customs officials in
developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Year Venue Participants
1996 Japan 14 participants from China and Indonesia.
1997 Japan 19 participants from the Philippines and Viet Nam.IP/C/W/408
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Year Venue Participants
1998 Japan 9 participants from Peru and Thailand.
1999 Japan 10 participants from Chile and Malaysia.
2000 Japan 8 participants from Viet Nam and China.
2001 Japan 10 participants from Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand,
Malaysia, and the Philippines.
2002 Japan 10 participants from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines and Viet Nam.
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