International Activities
The 3rd Int'l Committee visits Indonesia & Thailand
The 3rd International Affairs Committee sent an investigative delegation to Indonesia and Thailand between January 16-24, 2013.
The purpose of these visits was to: 1) investigate the present conditions of how IP systems are being enforced, 2) observe how IP is being protected in Indonesia and Thailand, and 3) establish systems of cooperation with local counterparts by sharing with them the concerns and requests of Japanese users and exchanging opinions regarding future IP trends.
Committee members visited 12 organizations in both of countries, including the Directorate General of Intellectual Property Rights in Indonesia(DGIPR), the Department of Intellectual Property in Thailand(DIP), the Intellectual Property and International Trade Court in Thailand, and law firms. The investigative team had meetings with these organizations' officers to exchange opinions concerning the questions and requests that were submitted prior to the meetings.
Following is a summary of the meetings at these organizations.
At Indonesia”Ēs DGIPR, committee members had a meeting with Mr. Arif Syamsudin, Head of Division for Examination at the Directorate of Patents, and other officials. These officials explained about the current situation regarding the duty to enforce patents (Article 17 of the Patent Act) and the submission of information for international patent applications (Article 28 of the Patent Act). They also explained the outlook for a revised Patent Act, for which procedures are now moving forward.
Committee members also met with Mr. Salmon Pardede, Head of Division for Complaining at the Department of Investigation, to hear about the achievements, expenses, and operations of this new department that was created in 2011. Partly because it is still a new organization, committee members recognized that officials are highly motivated to crack down on IP infringements.
At the Thai DIP, Deputy Director General Kulanee Issadisai and other officials greeted the JIPA members, provided them with an overview of their organization, and answered JIPA”Ēs questions. As Japanese users of the department, commotion also expressed their concerns regarding delays in disclosure, which is a requirement for examination requests, and delays in the examination and registration processes. This exchange of opinions with General Issadisai and other officials was extremely valuable.
The JIPA representatives also met Hon. Toon Mekyong, Deputy Chief Judge, and other officers at the Intellectual Property and International Trade Court in Thailand. Deputy Chief Judge Mekyong answered questions regarding the Court”Ēs systems, achievements, and so forth. In this way, committee members were able to obtain information not otherwise available to them in Japan.
