Derestricted
FTAA.sme/inf/73
August 12, 2003
Original: Spanish
Translation: FTAA Secretariat
FTAA – CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON SMALLER ECONOMIES
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
HEMISPHERIC COOPERATION PROGRAM
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROJECT
- Project Title
PROJECT: SPECIALIZED TRAINING IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
- Background
There are two specialized government agencies in the Dominican Republic (the
Dominican Copyright Office (ONDA) and the National Office for Industrial
Property (ONAPI)) with responsibility for administering the international
conventions, agreements and treaties signed by the Dominican Republic, a task
which they accomplish through the proper enforcement of the national laws on
intellectual property, namely Law 65-00 on Copyright and Law 20-00 on Industrial
Property.
This legislation has laid the foundation for broad-based protection of
Intellectual Property Rights in the Dominican Republic. It is clear to us,
however, that this protection must be backed within the FTAA by the Hemispheric
Cooperation Program through a specific number of seminars in the Dominican
Republic with the participation of international experts in the field, while we
promote exchanges of experiences with other countries.
- Rationale
Training of government officials, public servants, and certain professional
groups of civil society in this area is of vital importance, as is the
concurrent raising of awareness of the protection of these rights. This
two-pronged approach would then translate into the proper application of the
relevant legislation, and into people voluntarily complying with this
legislation, thus leading the country towards directly and effectively honoring
its international commitments.
This project would have a positive outcome since we would have authorities and
groups of civil society with adequate training in this area, in the framework of
the FTAA, which, in turn, would also play a vital role in developing trade among
and between the nations of the Area.
- Objectives of the project:
-
Adequately train the government authorities responsible for ensuring the
protection of Intellectual Property Rights, bearing in mind that the protection
of these rights has direct bearing on trade among and between our nations.
- Provide specialized training for professional groups from our civil
society, with a view to subsequently making trainers of them to transfer the
knowledge acquired to the general public, as well as to private sector
businesses and professionals whose work involves intellectual property.
- Inputs : resources required for the project
-Human Resources
-Funding
- Expected Results
Equip the country with well targeted legislation, as well as professionals with
specialized training in the area, who can also help to pass on the knowledge
acquired, with a view to eventually promoting our productive and competitive
capacity within the Free Trade Area of the Americas.
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