TAJIKISTAN 301: RECOMMEND REMAIN ON WATCH LIST

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000298 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EB/TPP/IPE BOGER AND URBAN STATE FOR SCA/CEN STATE PLS PASS NSC MCKIBBEN STATE PLS PASS USTR DONNELLY, ERRION, JCHOE-GROVES, MCCOY USDOC FOR 4231/MAC/RISD/JBROUGHER, DSTARKS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KIPR ECON ETRD TI EINV SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN 301: RECOMMEND REMAIN ON WATCH LIST REF: State 7944; Dushanbe 06 2107; Froman-Groves email 12-20-06 ¶1. Tajikistan has taken significant steps over the past year to protect intellectual property, but much work remains in order to change its position on the Special 301 List. Therefore, post recommends that Tajikistan retain its Watch List status. ¶2. Recent advances include: an amendment to the Law on Intellectual Property to protect copyright owners from Internet theft; a new office dealing with intellectual property violations in the Ministry of Interior; a geographical indication law adopted in January; and a November parliamentary agreement to join the Rome Convention for the protection of intellectual property. ¶3. Despite the positive legislation, Tajikistan has taken few practical steps to defend intellectual property rights. Customs officials have no equipment to detect counterfeit products, and they do not check for violations unless a copyright owner specifically requests protection of his/her copyright. The Ministry of Interior office formed to crack down on intellecutal property violations does not yet have actual operational capacity. (Post provided further detailed information in Reftels B and C). JACOBSON