The protection of intellectual property rights and their enforcement is a foundational enabler for innovation, promoting foreign trade and investment as well as boosting economic development.
In recognition of their importance, intellectual property rights were featured in the 1995 Osaka Action Agenda — APEC's strategic roadmap for achieving free and open trade and investment in the region.
In 1996, the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) established an Intellectual Property Rights Get-Together (IPR-GT). The aim was to ensure the adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights in the Asia-Pacific region through legislative, administrative and enforcement mechanisms based on the principles of the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement) and other related agreements. In 1997, the CTI made the IPR-GT an official APEC group with explicit terms of reference and renamed it the Intellectual Property Rights Experts' Group (IPEG).
Topics that IPEG’s work engages with include:
- Trademark links
- Deepening the dialogue on intellectual property (IP) policy
- New technologies
- Patent grace periods
- International IP dispute resolution
- IP enforcement
- IP commercialization & securitization of IP assets
- Interoperability
In 2023-2024, IPEG’s key focus areas are:
1. IP Financing
2. IP in the Digital Economy and Interconnectivity
3. IP for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth
IPEG held its 56th Meeting in Palm Springs, California, USA on 19-20 February 2023. Its next plenary, IPEG’s 57th Meeting, will take place in Seattle, Washington, USA in the beginning of August 2023.
Last page update: May 2023
Contacts
Chair
Email: [email protected]
Program Director
Current Activities
CTI’s priorities and key activities
- Support for the multilateral trading system
- Advancing regional economic integration, including the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific Agenda
- Trade facilitation and strengthening connectivity and infrastructure
- Promoting innovative development and inclusive approaches
- Engagement with the business sector and industry dialogues.
An overview of the work of the CTI and its 11 sub-fora—the dialogues, initiatives and achievements made in 2020—are encapsulated in the 2020 CTI Annual Report to Ministers.
Recent activities
First CTI Meeting 2021 (3-4 Mar 2021)
Twelfth APEC Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity Meeting 2021 (24 Feb 2021)
CTI-WEF Webinar on Trade Levers for Environmental Action and Circular Economies
Webinar on Promoting Inclusive and Responsible Business (IRB) for Sustainable Growth in Digital Society (CTI 04 2020T)
Workshop on Building Resilient Supply Chains in APEC: Agility in Crisis (Oct 2020)
Workshop on Building Resilient Supply Chains in APEC (Aug 2020)
CTI initiatives completed in 2020
Market Access & Non-Tariff Measures
Study for Final Review of Manufacturing Related Services (MSAP)
Export Restrictions and Food Security in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Overview of the SME Sector in the APEC Region: Key Issues on Market Access and Internationalization
Survey for Review of Chemical Management Regulatory Systems Worldwide - Summary
Survey for Review of Chemical Management Regulatory Systems Worldwide
Services & the Digital Economy
Next Generation Practices for Services Authorization in the Asia-Pacific Region
Study for Final Review of Environmental Services Action Plan (ESAP)
Promoting Consumer Protection in Digital Trade: Challenges and Opportunities
The Role of Standardization in Promoting Employment Related to the Silver Economy
Research on Promoting Trade in Services by SMEs and Women Entrepreneurs
APEC Cross-Border E-Commerce Training (CBET) Workshop: Enabling APEC SMEs to Access Global Market
FTAAP Capacity Building Workshop on E-commerce Elements in FTAs/RTAs
Investments
Handbook on Obligations in International Investment Treaties
Do Public Capital Investments Have an Impact on Economic Growth?
Trade Facilitation, Supply Chain Connectivity and GVCs
APEC Customs Time Release Comparison Study – Case Study of AEO MRAs between APEC Member Economies
Manual of Best Practices According to the AEO Benefits Survey Under Pillar 3 WCO SAFE Framework
Managing Risks in Global Value Chains: Strengthening Resilience in the APEC Region
Trade Facilitation by Ensuring a Safer Food Supply through Cross-border E-commerce
APEC Guidelines and Best Practices for the Adoption of Global Data Standards
Diagnosis of Applicability of the APEC Customs Transit Guidelines
Others
Intellectual Property Commercialization for SMEs
CTI-related publications from the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU)
2020 CTI Annual Report to Ministers
Outcomes and Outlook 2020/2021
APEC Regional Trends Analysis, February 2021 Update: Uneven Recovery, Unequal Impact
APEC's Bogor Goals Dashboard 2020
Final Review of APEC's Progress Towards the Bogor Goals
APEC Connectivity Blueprint: The 2020 Mid-Term Review
Research Outcomes: Summary of Research Projects 2019
APEC Regional Trends Analysis, July 2020 Update: Deeper Contraction Calls for Decisive Action
2019 APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU) Annual Report
APEC in the Epicentre of COVID-19
Trends and Developments in Provisions and Outcomes of RTA/FTAs Implemented in 2018 by APEC Economies