IPR: JUSTICE MINISTER AGREES TO HELP

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 001984 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USTR FOR ESAUNS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD KIPR IS GOI INTERNAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE SUBJECT: IPR: JUSTICE MINISTER AGREES TO HELP ¶1. (SBU) Minister of Justice Haim Ramon told the Ambassador May 16 that he would try to play a constructive role in addressing USG concerns about protection of intellectual property rights. Ambassador Jones expressed USG concern about Israel's poor performance in protecting the patents of U.S. pharmaceutical products, among other American exports, which led USTR to place Israel on its priority watch list for the second year in a row. ¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador also stressed the importance of Israel enforcing the norm of "national treatment," by guaranteeing that American copyright holders receive the same treatment in Israeli markets that Israeli rights holders receive. He then asked Ramon to make passage of the draft copyright bill a high priority for the new Knesset. Ramon said that he will chair the May 21 government legislative committee meeting that will decide which bills from the former Knesset will advance to the new Knesset under the "law on legislative continuity." "We will approve it" for consideration by the new Knesset, Ramon said. Ramon then asked to receive "a paper on all U.S. government concerns on copyright issues, in its broadest aspect." In coordination with USTR, Post plans to provide this paper to Ramon on May ¶22. ¶3. (SBU) Other issues covered in the meeting -- including convergence, illegal outposts, trafficking in persons, Magen David Adom, and nationality and entry -- are covered in septels. ********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ******************** JONES