On May 24, 2007, Mr. Akira Amari, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, met with Mr. Kamal Nath, the Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India. At the meeting, they signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Intellectual Property between the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India.

The MOU sets forth the direction of Japan-India cooperation in the field of intellectual property (e.g. human resources development, automation and modernization of Intellectual Property Offices, and public awareness programmes). Also described in this MOU is the agreement that the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) will formulate an action plan between the two Offices every year for the purpose of implementing cooperation programmes.

While Japan has been actively extending cooperation to developing nations towards adequate IP protection, this MOU is the first ministerial-level memorandum of understanding on IP cooperation for Japan to conclude with a developing country.

In the Joint Statement towards Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership in December 2006, the Prime Ministers of the two countries recognized the importance of IP and confirmed that their governments will continue to cooperate with each other in such areas as human resource development in the field of IP. The MOU is to put the Statement into practice.

[Summary of the MOU]

1. To establish common objectives: a) improvement of IP protection system; b) establishment of transparent and streamlined procedures concerning IP; and c) promotion of public awareness of IP protection

2. To set the orientation of IP cooperation: a) human resources development; b) automation and modernization of Intellectual Property Offices; and c) public awareness programmes

3. To establish a meeting between the JPO and the DIPP to formulate an Annual Action Plan every year