Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04PANAMA669
2004-03-22 20:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Panama
Cable title:  

PANAMA'S INPUT: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TRAINING,

Tags:  KIPR ETRD ECON SNAR PM ECONOMIC AFFAIRS 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PANAMA 000669 

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EB/IPC AREIAS
ALSO PLEASE PASS TO INL/LP AND INL/C/CP


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIPR ETRD ECON SNAR PM ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: PANAMA'S INPUT: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TRAINING,
NEEDS, AND BEST PRACTICES

REF: STATE 42798


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PANAMA 000669

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EB/IPC AREIAS
ALSO PLEASE PASS TO INL/LP AND INL/C/CP


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIPR ETRD ECON SNAR PM ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: PANAMA'S INPUT: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TRAINING,
NEEDS, AND BEST PRACTICES

REF: STATE 42798



1. Summary. Post has provided primarily financial support
and equipment to Panama in support of promoting effective
protection and enforcement of IP rights. Panama has
relatively well-developed intellectual property laws and
institutions, and the GOP has also increased specialized IPR
training and technical support for local stakeholders.
However, enforcement is far from ideal as police, customs and
prosecutors suffer from a lack of resources, and cases often
stall in the judicial system. Panama's most important needs
center on additional training for on-the-ground officials
(i.e., police, customs officers, and technical judges) and
the acquisition of additional equipment. End summary.



2. Per reftel, Answers to Questionnaire (Question 7).


A.1. While post has not/not conducted specific IPR training
programs or workshops, IPR training was included in various
conferences. Most recently, a one-hour IPR training session
was held on March 3 in a DHS-led Conference on Money
Laundering. This session included presentations by a DHS
official and GOP IPR Prosecutor on IPR laws and practices
specific to each country. While the audience was comprised
of GOP officials (police and prosecutors) with money
laundering responsibilities, many of these individuals have
IPR duties as well. IPR training was also included in a
January 2004 terrorist financing seminar led by DOJ/OPDAT.
Prosecutors and judges attended this training.


A.2. The GOP Inter-Institutional Commission for Intellectual
Property includes Public Ministry prosecutors, Customs and
the Education Ministry's Copyright Office officials, Colon
Free Zone (CFZ) administration, and representatives from the
Commerce Ministry's international trade office (VICOMEX),and
industrial property registry (DIGERPI). Using GOP funds, the
Commission organized and executed a series of four regional
workshops in 2003 throughout Panama to raise general
awareness of IP. These private forums invited GOP judges,
customs officials, and police to a three-day seminar on IP.
Day One introduced IP and its theory; Day Two provided the
audience with technical demonstrations (i.e., how to verify a

"true" product with its look-alike); and Day Three discussed
the role of the GOP in combating IP crimes. The police also
held a training session in January 2004 on how to identify
suspicious bills of lading and airway bills. The GOP
Specialized IP Prosecutor's Office (Ninth Circuit attorney -
created in December 2002) plans to hold a seminar in late
March / early April of this year to target Superior Court
judges from across the country on the fundamentals and
principles of IP.


B.1. Post has not/not conducted or observed any IP-specific
training programs.


B.2. According to GOP IPR Prosecutor Jose Ayu Prado, the most
successful type of training has been the case study approach
because of the audience's ability to directly see their role
in the investigation or court proceedings. However, this
approach has not been recently utilized because GOP judges
feel uncomfortable discussing real-life accounts. (Note: The
GOP IPR Prosecutor's office does not/not have the resources
to develop a fictional case study to be used for training
purposes at this time. End note.) While post believes there
is a strong need to send GOP IPR officials to international
conferences and training, in-country training provides more
individuals the access to training.


B.3. The Embassy has helped to bridge some of the GOP's more
glaring resource gaps. US. companies have expressed concern
about the general scarcity of resources and low priority
given to IPR cases by Panama's Attorney General's office.
The specialized IPR prosecutor lacks even basic resources to
conduct investigations and handle cases. Many of his workers
use personal or donated computers and/or printers, some
dating to the early 1990s. Using Narcotics Affairs Section
(NAS) funds, we have provided a photocopier, cable internet
connection, and a computer projector to the IPR prosecutor to
help with IPR training and investigations. We have helped
cover the costs of storing evidence for IPR cases. Finally,
the Embassy is aggressively pursuing anti-corruption and
justice reform programs.


C.1. Post sees a need for further training of GOP officials.
Most of the training programs to-date have consisted of broad
introductions to IP. While these continue to be a necessity,
continued, more specific training programs are a necessity to
give GOP officials the skills they need. These training
programs may focus upon specific themes on trademarks,
copyrights, or particular skill-sets such as identifying
counterfeits and frauds. In the past, post has utilized NAS
funds to send GOP officials to industry-wide conferences and
USG-sponsored conferences. NAS funding allowed for two GOP
officials to attend an USPTO-sponsored IPR conference in
Washington in September 2003.


C.2. The Embassy recommends a plan focused on two specific
areas that need improvement: CFZ enforcement and the judicial
system. First, we recommend expanding programs in the CFZ to
improve security and law enforcement on money laundering,
counter narcotics, and terrorist financing as they relate to
IPR to include finite resources (cell phones,
computers/laptops, copiers, printers, internet access,
digital camera). These would further their mission and to
access and contribute to the DIGERPI-maintained copyright
database. Second, we would welcome a judiciary-focused
technical workshop - perhaps a DOJ/OPDAT-style conference,
led by a US circuit court judge that would use a mock court
case to educate Panamanian judges in the intricacies of
adjudicating IPR cases.
WATT