SUCCESSFUL USPTO IPR WORKSHOP CONCLUDES

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001674

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STATE FOR NEA/ARP, EB/TPP/MTA/IPC
COMMERCE FOR USPTO/JTRACY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EIND PREL KIPR KMPI MU
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL USPTO IPR WORKSHOP CONCLUDES


1. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) sponsored a
successful MEPI-funded intellectual property rights workshop
for judges, prosecutors, investigators, and customs officials
from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of
Justice, Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Office of Public
Prosecution, and Royal Oman Police. The workshop, part of a
technical assistance program to raise IPR awareness in
advance of implementation of the U.S.-Oman Free Trade
Agreement, ran from December 3-6 in Muscat. Over forty
participants attended the first two days of the workshop,
which focused on judicial issues, while over thirty attended
the latter two days, which concentrated on
investigative-related topics.


2. The Ambassador highlighted the importance of protecting
intellectual property rights in his December 3 welcoming
remarks to judicial and prosecutorial participants. He
emphasized that the enforcement of intellectual property
rights was an essential component of government efforts to
safeguard public health, encourage technological development,
and spur economic growth through the development of new
enterprises. Ministry of Commerce and Industry Under
Secretary Ahmad bin Hassan al-Thib Baomar stressed Oman's

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continuing commitment to protecting IPR, accentuated by the
government's accession to the WTO in 2000. The event drew
favorable media coverage of joint U.S.-Omani efforts to
protect IPR, as well as general MEPI technical assistance.
GRAPPO