Wikileaks - CCLXXX
58948 3/31/2006 15:13 06ANKARA1742 Embassy Ankara UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 06STATE34733 VZCZCXRO9004 PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ DE RUEHAK #1742/01 0901513 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 311513Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4459 INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7056 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0846 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 1011 RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 0234 RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI 0010 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0207 RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0594 RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001742
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR INL/RM AND EB/TPP/IPE DEPT PASS USTR FOR JCHOE-GROVES, LERRION DEPT PASS USPTO FOR JURBAN AND EWU USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/CRUSNAK
SENSITIVE SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD, KIPR, KCRM, TU SUBJECT: PROPOSAL FOR INL-FUNDED REGIONAL IPR TRAINING FY 2006
REF: A) STATE 34733
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1. (U) This message was coordinated with Embassies, Athens, Bucharest, Sofia, and Tirana and Consulate Thessaloniki.
2. (U) As requested ref A, this message provides a proposal for FY '06 INL-funded regional IPR training.
IPR: A REGIONAL PROBLEM
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3. (SBU) According to USTR, Turkey, Greece, and their neighboring Balkan countries represent a region of increasing concern for IPR violations, both in the production and trans-shipment of pirated goods. In 2005, Turkey was placed on the Special 301 Priority Watch List, and Bulgaria and Romania were listed on the Watch List. For 2006, these countries will likely remain in their 2005 categories, and Greece is also being considered for inclusion on the Watch List. While these countries have made substantial improvements related to IPR protection, deficiencies still exist, especially in the areas of enforcement and prosecution. For example, in industry's 2006 Special 301 submissions, many emphasized the increase in both production and trans-shipment of pirated goods in and through Turkey. Products that violate both copyrights and patents and trademarks were mentioned in these submissions.
4. (SBU) Officials in this region widely assume that a link exists between organized crime and the production and distribution of pirated goods, but the investigation and prosecution of IPR offenses in this context have not been successful. In addition, organized criminal activity in the region reaches beyond the domestic borders and allegedly includes the shipment of goods through these countries from the area of production to the distribution destination. Consulate Thessaloniki previously provided training for Southeastern Europe Cooperative Initiative members on organized crime in the region, but IPR was only a small component of this program. We believe that a training program that would assist law enforcement in linking IPR with organized crime would enable enhanced IPR seizures and enforcement as well as provide stronger criminal penalties for the parties responsible for producing and shipping the pirated goods.
PROPOSAL: SOUTHEAST EUROPE REGIONAL IPR TRAINING
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5. (U) To this end, we propose a regional IPR training program targeting southeastern European countries for which IPR violations are a growing problem. In this proposed training, the Department of Justice Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT), and in coordination with USPTO, the Department of State Bureau for Economic and Business Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Embassy Ankara, would deliver a regional assistance program focused on linking and prosecuting intellectual property rights violations (copyrights, patents and trademarks) in the larger context of regional organized crime to a target audience of customs officials, police and prosecutors from Turkey, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania. The assistance program would focus on the effective identification of such goods by police and customs officials and enhanced investigative and prosecutorial techniques and procedures to link these goods with organized crime.
6. (U) The assistance program will be conducted by a USG TDY team in Turkey, with a target date of the last quarter of '06. Due to the regional nature of this proposed training and the number of USG TDY officials and participants, we estimate that approximately USD
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$100,000 will be needed. This assistance would include travel and per diem for the USG TDY team, and for third- country official travel and lodging, as needed, to Ankara (Note: In each of these countries, officials have indicated to us that their participation in international training courses is often contingent upon the availability of outside funds to cover their travel expenses. End note.) In order to facilitate continued cooperation between the participants, we propose that only those officials with sufficient English attend this training (if qualified English-speaking participants can be identified) and, thus, translation should not be needed. We anticipate that the GOT would provide a training facility, but funds for the reproduction of training material and logistics support will also be needed.
RESULT: ENHANCED COOPERATION
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7. (SBU) A regional program of this nature will provide the participants with the opportunity to network and learn about each country's IPR practices and procedures. In addition, it will reinforce to the participants the regional nature of IPR crimes and encourage enhanced information sharing and transnational cooperation. While such a regional program is more costly, it is more cost effective than providing the same type of training separately in each of the countries involved. MCELDOWNEY
