This roundtable is organized jointly by UNCTAD and the International Centre on Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD). A number of experts in the area of intellectual property rights (IPRs) will discuss the development potential of utility models.

The roundtable will focus on a presentation by Dr. Uma Suthersanen, Reader in Intellectual Property Law & Policy, Queen Mary, University of London, of her paper "Utility Models and Innovation in Developing Countries", forthcoming as Issue Paper No. 13 under the UNCTAD-ICTSD Project on IPRs and Sustainable Development.

Kiyoshi Adachi, Legal Officer, DITE, will serve as one of the commentators on the paper.