Agenda of TRIPS Council meeting (5-6 June 2012): Information exchange on counterfeits, WIPO negotiations on copyright L&Es

The following WTO airgram WTO/AIR/3943/REV.1 (23 May 2012) contains the agenda for the upcoming WTO Council for TRIPS meeting to be held in Geneva from Tuesday, 5 June 2012 to Wednesday, 6 June 2012. The airgram notes that the United States has made a written request for an agenda item on the “exchange of information on securing supply chains against counterfeit goods” (agenda item K). Brazil and the United States made a joint request for an additional agenda item (L) on “copyright limitations and exceptions: ongoing negotiations at WIPO-Briefing by Brazil and the United States”. This will be the first time that the WTO membership will hear on the status of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) negotiations on copyright limitations and exceptions for the blind, visually impaired and reading disabled persons, education and libraries and archives.

Here below is the WTO airgram in full.

WTO/AIR/3943/REV.1 23 MAY 2012

SUBJECT: COUNCIL FOR TRIPS

1. THE NEXT MEETING OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRIPS WILL BE HELD IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD ON TUESDAY, 5 JUNE 2012 STARTING AT 10 A.M. AND WILL CONTINUE ON WEDNESDAY, 6 JUNE AS NECESSARY.
2. THE UNITED STATES HAS MADE A WRITTEN REQUEST TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL ITEM TO THE AGENDA. BRAZIL AND THE UNITED STATES HAVE MADE ANOTHER WRITTEN REQUEST FOR AN ADDITIONAL ITEM. FOLLOWING THESE REQUESTS, THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE NOW PROPOSED FOR THE AGENDA (THE NEW PROPOSALS ARE LISTED AS ITEMS K AND L):
A. NOTIFICATIONS UNDER PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT
B. REVIEWS OF NATIONAL IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION
C. REVIEW OF THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 27.3(b)
D. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TRIPS AGREEMENT AND THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
E. PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND FOLKLORE
F. NON-VIOLATION AND SITUATION COMPLAINTS
G. REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 71.1
H. REVIEW OF THE APPLICATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE SECTION ON GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 24.2
I. TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND CAPACITY-BUILDING
J. LETTER FROM THE CHAIR OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL CONCERNING WAYS TO IMPROVE THE TIMELINESS AND COMPLETENESS OF NOTIFICATIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION FLOWS
K. EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON SECURING SUPPLY CHAINS AGAINST COUNTERFEIT GOODS
L. COPYRIGHT LIMITATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS: ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS AT WIPO – BRIEFING BY BRAZIL AND THE UNITED STATES
M. INFORMATION ON RELEVANT DEVELOPMENTS ELSEWHERE IN THE WTO
N. OBSERVER STATUS FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
O. OTHER BUSINESS
3. IT IS RECALLED THAT PARAGRAPH 19 OF THE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION PROVIDES THAT THE COUNCIL, IN UNDERTAKING THE WORK PROVIDED FOR IN THAT PARAGRAPH, SHALL BE GUIDED BY THE OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES SET OUT IN ARTICLES 7 AND 8 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT AND SHALL TAKE FULLY INTO ACCOUNT THE DEVELOPMENT DIMENSION.
4. ANY MEMBER WISHING AN ADDITIONAL ITEM TO BE PLACED ON THE PROPOSED AGENDA IS INVITED TO INFORM THE SECRETARIAT OF THIS SUFFICIENTLY IN ADVANCE SO THAT A REVISED AIRGRAM CAN BE ISSUED TEN CALENDAR DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
5. MEMBERS OF THE WTO, OTHER GOVERNMENTS WITH OBSERVER STATUS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WITH OBSERVER STATUS ARE REQUESTED TO INFORM THE SECRETARIAT OF THE NAMES OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

PASCAL LAMY

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