Intellectual property

This chapter explains the provisions of Section 3 of Part II of the TRIPS Agreement entitled ‘Geographical Indications’. A geographical indication (GI) is defined in the TRIPS Agreement as an indication which identifies a good as originating in the territory of a member or a regional locality in that territory where a given quality reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin. Typical examples would be ‘Cognac’ for a brandy coming from that region of France and ‘Darjeeling’ for tea coming from that region of India.

I would like to thank you very much for inviting me to this Symposium. It is really great to be back in Geneva. I have indeed very fond memories of my long stay here and coming back gives me the great pleasure to meet dear old friends.

D’après une étude publiée par le Parlement européen en 2017 la chaîne de blocs pourrait « changer nos vies » (Boucher 2017). Ce que montrent les différentes applications de la chaîne de blocs qui sont mises au point dans des domaines aussi divers que le financement du commerce la facilitation des échanges le commerce des services la propriété intellectuelle et les marchés publics c’est que la chaîne de blocs peut avoir un impact considérable sur les opérateurs commerciaux et sur les organismes gouvernementaux participant au commerce international. Les possibilités sont multiples mais elles ne seront réalisées que si plusieurs défis clés sont relevés.

The negotiations on IP during the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations of the GATT (1986–94) were able to build upon a large body of existing law both international and domestic. The main disciplines and notions of IP protection were already well established at the inception of the negotiations in 1986 with the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration in Punta del Este and its compromise that meant that negotiations would be conducted only on so-called trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights. The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of 1883 and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works of 1886 – both amounting to the very first multilateral agreements in the field of international economic law long before the advent of the GATT in 1947 – provided the underpinnings in international law.

This chapter deals with the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement that set out standards for protection of industrial designs (Articles 25 and 26 in Section 4 of Part II of the Agreement) and protection of layout-designs or topographies of integrated circuits (Articles 35 to 38 in Section 6 of Part II). As for all sections of Part II these sections have to be read together with the relevant provisions of pre-existing treaties in the area of international IP law which are incorporated by reference into the TRIPS Agreement. Reference will be made to these treaties in the sections below. This chapter will also have to be read in conjunction with other relevant provisions of the TRIPS Agreement that are explained in other chapters (such as those concerning non-discrimination enforcement of IP rights and the administration of IP). Wherever appropriate cross-references are made to other chapters.

My sincere thanks go to my colleague Ms Kenza Le Mentec for her precious guidance. Kenza introduced me to the subject and provided invaluable inputs in particular for the technical sections describing the technology and the section on trade facilitation. This publication would not have been possible without her support.

Learning is a continuing process in one’s life. Some lessons are well archived on our “personal hard disk” with learning by doing being the most efficient method of saving those lessons. Negotiating the TRIPS Agreement was “unforgettable” to cite a famous American TV series. Indeed it is one of the most well-archived and prominent learning experiences of my career. Having been born and grown up in a developing country namely Viet Nam (south) with its realities printed in my DNA I came a long way eventually working at representing a small developed country. Switzerland which is characterized by an economy based on free enterprise innovation and exports of manufactured goods and services as well as by a compromise-oriented “culture” in terms of policy law-making and negotiating set the stage for this learning experience in the field of IP prior during and after the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations under the GATT.

This publication is the product of extensive collaboration between the WHO WIPO and WTO Secretariats led by the Department of Public Health Innovation and Intellectual Property in the WHO the Global Challenges Division in WIPO and the Intellectual Property Government Procurement and Competition Division in the WTO.

En 2017 el Parlamento Europeo publicó una investigación en la que se afirmaba que las cadenas de bloques podían "cambiarnos la vida" (Boucher 2017). Lo que demuestran las varias aplicaciones de la cadena de bloques que se están desarrollando en esferas tan diversas como la financiación del comercio la facilitación del comercio el comercio de servicios la propiedad intelectual y la contratación pública es que esta tecnología puede tener repercusiones considerables tanto en los comerciantes como en los organismos públicos que participan en el comercio internacional. Las oportunidades tienen muchas facetas pero solo se harán realidad si se resuelven varios retos fundamentales.

This section provides an overview of elements and legal and policy instruments relating to the IP and international trade system which are relevant to medical innovation and access to medical technologies at the international level.

Quiero expresar mi más sincero agradecimiento a mi colega la Sra. Kenza Le Mentec por sus valiosas orientaciones. Kenza me dio a conocer el tema e hizo importantes aportaciones en particular para las secciones técnicas en que se describe la tecnología y para la dedicada a la facilitación del comercio. Esta publicación no hubiera sido posible sin su apoyo.

El mundo está en continuo proceso de cambio impulsado por innovaciones tecnológicas que afectan la forma en que vivimos y hacemos negocios. La historia de la economía mundial está íntimamente ligada al progreso tecnológico. La máquina de vapor facilitó la mecanización de la producción el descubrimiento de electricidad permitió la producción en masa y la aparición de Internet permitió coordinar a distancia las diversas fases de producción lo que llevó a una fragmentación de la producción que dio origen a cadenas de valor mundiales.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic constitutes an extraordinary global public health crisis. It has created a pressing need for intensified global cooperation. The pandemic has from its outset raised issues at the crossroads of public health trade intellectual property (IP) policy and the framework for and management of innovation and access including issues related to technology transfer.

El régimen mundial de propiedad intelectual ofrece un marco de incentivos que permite fomentar la innovación urgente necesaria para luchar contra la COVID-19. Abarca desde las fases de invención hasta el suministro de un producto o servicio. Las repercusiones de las patentes en el acceso a los medicamentos es un asunto complejo que despierta especial interés. También se analizan otros derechos de propiedad intelectual como los secretos comerciales.

La segunda edición de la publicación conjunta de la OMS la OMPI y la OMC titulada Promover el acceso a las tecnologías y la innovación en medicina: Intersecciones entre la salud pública la propiedad intelectual y el comercio (el estudio trilateral) publicada en 2020 incluía un suplemento especial en que se presentaban los desafíos planteados por la pandemia de COVID-19 en relación con los marcos de política integrados de salud comercio y propiedad intelectual descritos en el estudio. El estudio trilateral y el suplemento especial se han concebido para servir como referencia básica a los responsables de las políticas en el sentido más amplio –legisladores funcionarios públicos delegados ante las organizaciones internacionales las organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG) e investigadores– que necesitan una exposición completa y detallada de toda la gama de cuestiones así como de instituciones y conceptos jurídicos que tal vez no conozcan suficientemente. También se ha elaborado como recurso fáctico para las actividades de cooperación técnica de las tres organizaciones.

The second edition of the joint WHO WIPO and WTO publication “Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation: Intersections between public health intellectual property and trade” (the Trilateral Study) published in 2020 included a special insert mapping the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the integrated health trade and IP policy framework set out in the study. The Trilateral Study and the special insert were designed to serve as background reference for policy-makers in the widest sense – lawmakers government officials delegates to international organizations non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and researchers who seek a comprehensive presentation of the full range of issues including institutions and legal concepts with which they may be unfamiliar. It is also designed to serve as a factual resource for the three organizations’ technical cooperation activities.

Depuis le début de la pandémie de COVID-19 une multitude d’acteurs publics et privés se sont efforcés de collaborer à l’échelle mondiale pour mettre au point des traitements des vaccins et des diagnostics en vue de garantir un accès équitable à ces technologies. De nombreux efforts de ce type visent à répondre simultanément aux besoins en matière de R&D et d’accès. Les efforts de collaboration comprennent des investissements substantiels dans des partenariats pour le développement de produits (PDP) afin de favoriser le développement non commercial de vaccins et de vastes initiatives de R&D impliquant de multiples parties prenantes.

While low- and middle-income countries face particular challenges caused by the global scarcity of key health technologies the vast majority of countries are net importers of all categories of health technologies including those needed to address COVID-19.