WIPO organized a sub-regional meeting on patents for the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Doha, Qatar, on April 24-25 in cooperation with the Qatari Ministry of Finance, Economy, and Commerce. The meeting’s primary objectives were to discuss the existing patent situation in the GCC member states, links and working procedures with the GCC Patent Office, and review the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Council on implementing legislation in the field of patents as well as industrial property issues for a new round of multilateral negotiations. Some 40 participants from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates attended the meeting. The Qatar meeting brought together government officials, representatives from the patent offices, lawyers, university professors, and individuals from the private sector to discuss patent legislation in the six GCC states. Presentations were made on the following topics:
– Main aspects of the TRIPs Agreement that should be reflected in the patent legislation of developing countries.
– Review by the TRIPs Council on implementing legislation in the field of patents.
– Industrial property issues for a new round of negotiations.
– Regional and sub-regional systems for patent protection.
– Review of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
This first meeting organized on the specific subject of patents for the GCC, served as a forum for exchange of reviews on what is currently being done and for identification of what changes are needed in order to have a more efficient sub-regional patent system in the area. The meeting was seen as a building block for future cooperation between WIPO and the GCC Patent Office. Most of the GCC member states will undergo their review at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in June and November and the meeting offered them insights into the review process under the TRIPs Council.