TURKEY: PROPOSAL FOR INL-FUNDED IPR TRAINING

UNCLAS ANKARA 001743 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: TURKEY: PROPOSAL FOR INL-FUNDED IPR TRAINING ON DIGITAL COPYRIGHTS AND WIPO TREATIES REF: A) STATE 34733 B) ANKARA 854 ¶1. (U) As requested ref A, this message provides a proposal for FY '06 INL-funded IPR training in Turkey. ¶2. (SBU) While Turkey's IPR regime improved significantly in 2005, gaps in protection, particularly in enforcement, remain. Turkey will most likely remain on the Special 301 Priority Watch List in 2006 due to concerns about non-TRIPS and EU compliant pharmaceutical data protection and continued high levels of piracy and counterfeiting. Digital piracy remains a serious concern for industry, and while the GOT is taking earnest steps to curb this problem (including increased seizures and stronger judicial penalties for convicted pirates (ref B)),its officials would benefit from additional training on this subject. ¶3. (U) Turkey has yet to ratify both the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) and the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT). Industry continues to emphasize this as a cause for concern in their statements on Turkey's IPR protection and their Special 301 submissions. GOT officials have indicated to us that they hope the treaties will be ratified this year (ref B),but to date no action has been taken by the GOT to do so. ¶4. (U) We propose a two-day training program in Ankara focusing on digital copyrights and the implementation of the WIPO treaties. On the subject of digital copyrights, the training would cover both substantive concerns and emerging issues and discuss recent developments in the U.S. and the EU. The WIPO component of the training would focus on the importance of the treaties and the legislation needed to adequately implement the treaties upon ratification. In this proposed training, the USPTO would deliver the assistance program to a target audience of Ministry of Culture and Tourism officials, Turkish Patent and Trademark Office Officials, and select parliamentarians. ¶5. (U) The assistance program will be conducted by a USG TDY team in Turkey, with a target date of the last quarter of '06. We estimate that approximately USD $15,000 will be needed. This assistance would include travel and per diem for the USG TDY team, transportation and logistical support for the team while in Ankara, and the reproduction of training materials. We anticipate that the GOT will provide a training facility. MCELDOWNEY