HONDURAS ON USPTO IPR SEMINARS

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002548 SIPDIS FOR EB/TPP/MTA/IPC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KIPR HO SUBJECT: HONDURAS ON USPTO IPR SEMINARS REFS: A) SECSTATE 135231, B) SECSTATE 164498 ¶1. Per reftel requests, Post passed information regarding seminars on specialized intellectual property courts and enforcement programs hosted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to Director of Intellectual Property Camilo Bendeck. According to Bendeck, the Central American Economic Integration System (SIECA) is funding the travel expenses for one Honduran prosecutor to attend the seminar on specialized intellectual property courts from September 12-13. Attendance at future trainings will depend on the availability of SIECA funding. Note that SIECA (located in Guatemala) is funded by USAID's regional G-CAP program. ¶2. With respect to the questions posed in ref a, specialized intellectual property courts do not exist in Honduras. After a November 2001 meeting with Emboffs, Attorney General Roy Medina designated one prosecutor to handle IPR cases exclusively. The prosecutor is currently assigned to the Office of the Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime. The creation of a special prosecutor for intellectual property will be based on the Office of the Attorney General's budgetary needs. To address the need for prosecutors schooled in intellectual property matters, the GOH Office of Intellectual Property is assisting in training a number of select prosecutors from the organized crime office. Pierce