PARAGUAY: WIPO SESSION ON IPR AND DEVELOPMENT

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000481

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC, EB/IPE
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR SCRONIN, LYANG
USAID FOR AA/LAC ADOLFO FRANCO
TREASURY FOR OSIA MAUREEN WAFER
COMMERCE ITA SARAH COOK
NSC FOR MIKE DEMPSEY
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD
US SOUTHERN COMMAND MIAMI, FLORIDA

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN ETRD KIPR OIIP PA WIPO
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY: WIPO SESSION ON IPR AND DEVELOPMENT

REF: 05 State 47851


1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified - protect accordingly.


2. (SBU) On March 31, Econ Chief delivered reftel demarche
to the GOP's Director General of Intellectual Property,
Astrid Weiler. Ms. Weiler, who has been a very effective
advocate of intellectual property rights in Paraguay, said
that she does not support Brazil's proposal, and will
personally attend the meetings in Geneva. Brazil pressured
her to support its proposal, but she said she questions
Brazil's motives. She and many other Paraguayans resent the
sudden and strong enforcement efforts being applied by
Brazil along the border, especially with respect to Ciudad
del Este in the tri-border region. The Ministry of Industry
and Commerce (MIC) has been trying to obtain IPR enforcement
cooperation from Brazil for well over a year with little
success, for example with information sharing on the mostly
Brazilian buyers of the millions of blank CDs and DVDs
imported into Paraguay.


3. Ms. Weiler also agreed with many of the US arguments
against the Brazilian proposal. She commented that the
Minister of Industry and Commerce, for whom she works,
agrees and that they had discussed preparing talking points
for President Duarte in case Brazilian President Lula were
to call.

KEANE