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1. The purpose of this memorandum is to seek approval for the convening of the thirty fifth session of the Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT), to take place from April 25 to 27, 2016 (three days). This session is scheduled back to back with one session of a Preparatory Committee for a Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a Design Law Treaty (DLT) on April 28 and 29, 2016, for which a separate memorandum will be submitted. These dates are already provisionally announced by circular letter C.N. 3648 Rev., dated December 15, 2016. Draft invitations are attached.
Agenda for SCT/35
2. A draft Agenda is attached.
Industrial Designs
3. By way of background, I would like to recall that the WIPO GA agreed in October 2015:
“That the text of the basic proposal for the Design Law Treaty should be finalized by the SCT at its thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth sessions;
(i) To convene a diplomatic conference for the adoption of a Design Law Treaty at the end of the first half of 2017, only if the discussions on technical assistance and disclosure have been completed during the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth sessions of the SCT;
(ii) That the text of the basic proposal for the Design Law Treaty should be finalized by the SCT at its thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth sessions;
(iii) That, if a diplomatic conference is convened at the end of the first half of 2017, the date and venue of the diplomatic conference would be decided in a preparatory committee, to be held back-to-back with the thirty-fifth session of the SCT.”
4. Progress towards “the completion of the discussion on technical assistance and disclosure” was made at SCT/34 (see attached outcome report). Along those lines, two revised working documents will be submitted to the SCT for consideration. In case the SCT is in a position to agree on the draft, the Preparatory Committee for a Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a D |