Intellectual Property Rights Experts Group

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 56^th Meeting in Palm Springs, California, USA on 19-20 February 2023. Its next plenary, IPEG’s 57^th Meeting, will take place in Seattle, Washington, USA in the beginning of August 2023.

Last page update: May 2023

Contacts

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)

Workshop on APEC Best Practice in Addressing Subsides That Contribute to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (22 Feb 2021)

Preparatory Meeting for the Symposium on APEC Supporting the WTO Negotiations on Trade Related Aspects of E-Commerce (2 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

Public-Private Dialogue on Understanding Non-Tariff Measures on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Sectors

Study for Final Review of Manufacturing Related Services (MSAP)

Mapping Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) in Asia-Pacific Economies: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Sectors

Study of APEC Economies’ TBT and SPS Specific Trade Concerns: An Analysis from the APEC Cross Cutting Principles on Non-Tariff Measures

Stock Take of APEC Economies’ Existing Measures on Withdrawal of Subsidies in Cases Where There Has Been a Determination of IUU Fishing

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

Assessment of Capacity Building Needs to Support WTO Negotiation on Trade Related Aspects of E-commerce

Study for Final Review of Environmental Services Action Plan (ESAP)

Workshop on Manufacturing-Related Services and Environmental Services: Contribution to the Final Review of Manufacturing-Related Services Action Plan (MSAP) and 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

Workshop on Best Practices Sharing to Improve Application of the APEC Non-Binding Principles for Domestic Regulation of the Services Sector

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

Regulations, Policies and Initiatives on E-Commerce and Digital Economy for APEC MSMEs' Participation in the Region

APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules System Fostering Accountability Agent Participation for Participants, Developing Economies, and MSMEs Benefit Workshop

/Publications/2020/01/Study-on-APECs-Non-binding-Principles-for-Domestic-Regulation-of-the-Services-Sector

FTAAP Capacity Building Workshop on E-commerce Elements in FTAs/RTAs

Trade Policy Dialogue on Fostering an Enabling Policy and Regulatory Environment in APEC for Data-utilizing Businesses

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 Trade in Value-Added (TiVA) Initiative (Report-Two) Better Understanding Global Value Chains in the APEC Region

Integrating SMEs in Authorized Economic Operator Certification: Improving SME Participation in APEC Secure Trade

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

Reference Guide for Peer Review and Capacity Building on APEC Infrastructure Development and Investment

FTAAP Capacity Building Workshop on Competition Policy under the 3rd REI CBNI: Sharing Good Examples of FTAs/EPAs

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 - New Virus, Old Challenges and Rebuilding a Better Asia-Pacific; APEC amid COVID-19: Navigating Risks and Opportunities toward Resilience

APEC at a Glance 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

APEC Regional Trends Analysis - What Goes Around Comes Around: Pivoting to a Circular Economy; Uncertainty Tests APEC’s Resilience amid COVID-19

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