Vol. 484 No. 3
67 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the Government policy, if any, regarding intellectual property; the action, if any, taken or about to be taken by her Department in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21959/97]
The policy of my Department in the field of intellectual property is to ensure, in conjunction with the Patents Office, that the formulation and implementation of policy for intellectual property protection meets the needs of Irish business and industry, as well as other interests, and to ensure that innovation in industry and commerce is assisted and encouraged by intellectual property policy. The overall objective is to provide an efficient and effective system of intellectual property protection in Ireland, in the context of our broader obligations in this area under European Union and international law.
My Department with the Patents Office, plays an active part in the formulation of EU and international law in relation to intellectual property. I should particularly mention that under Ireland's recent EU Presidency, officers of the Department had a major role in the Community's preparations for the major Diplomatic Conference held under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organisation at Geneva in December 1996 and in leading the Community's interest in the course of that Conference, which resulted in agreement on new treaties in relation to the protection of copyright and of rights in performances and phonograms.
Major actions in recent times have included the passage of the Patents Act, 1992, and the Trade Marks Act, 1996. This legislation had as its objective the modernisation of Ireland's systems of patents and trade marks protection, and the attainment of compliance with our obligations in these fields under international and EU law. The major project of my Department at present in the intellectual property field is the preparation of a new Copyright and Related Rights Bill, which aims to achieve the same results in the field of copyright. This Bill will be major legislation which is expected to run to approximately 400 sections. In view of the importance of copyright for industry and commerce in the information age, the preparation of the Copyright and Related Rights Bill is a matter of high priority in the context of my Department as a whole.
Other forthcoming actions in the field of intellectual property policy are, the ratification of the Madrid Protocol on the registration of international trade marks, which will facilitate Irish trade mark proprietors and brand owners in securing international protection of their marks, and the preparation of modernising legislation in relation to industrial designs. Work in these areas will advance as quickly as possible, subject to the overriding priority attaching to the preparation of the Copyright and Related Rights Bill.
