Contrary to what was reported yesterday, the Dominican Republic will not join Cuba, Egypt and Honduras in their formal request that the World Trade Organization (WTO) grant them a delay of five years to implement their Uruguay Round trade commitments regarding Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs). Under the 1996 TRIPs agreement, all nations belonging to the WTO need to upgrade by January 1, 2000 their intellectual property laws and regulations to match the level of protection provided under generally accepted international treaties on patents, trademarks, copyrights, geographic indications, software, microchips and trade secrets. Minister of Foreign Relations Eduardo Latorre said that a "communications error" led the DR to be included along with Cuba, Egypt and Honduras. These nations insisted that the changes necessitated by the trade commitments are simply beyond their institutional capacity to meet by next January, and that countries that are less advanced technologically such as they should be allowed more time to make the transition. The petition will be examined at the next meeting of the WTO’s TRIPs Council, and probably will end up being discussed at the WTO Ministerial scheduled for Seattle. Developed nations, led by the United States and European Union (EU), are likely to strongly oppose the request, since it would lead to a flood of similar delays by other developing nations.Minister Latorre said, "The Dominican government has taken firm steps to advance in the prompt institutionalization and ruling of these matters, considering this agreement is a guarantee for the protection of intellectual property rights and reflects the search for common standards with developed countries."
