Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PORTOFSPAIN320
2007-04-02 19:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Port Of Spain
Cable title:  

FIFTH ANNUAL SONG AND VERSE CONTEST FOCUSES ON IPR

Tags:  ETRD KIPR SCUL TD 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2229
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHSP #0320/01 0921906
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021906Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8052
INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3644
RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT OF SPAIN 000320 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/PD, EB/IPE AND INL/LP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD KIPR SCUL TD
SUBJECT: FIFTH ANNUAL SONG AND VERSE CONTEST FOCUSES ON IPR

REF: (A) 04 POS 339; (B) 05 POS 210; (C) 06 POS 261

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT OF SPAIN 000320

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/PD, EB/IPE AND INL/LP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD KIPR SCUL TD
SUBJECT: FIFTH ANNUAL SONG AND VERSE CONTEST FOCUSES ON IPR

REF: (A) 04 POS 339; (B) 05 POS 210; (C) 06 POS 261

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY


1. (U) SUMMARY: One year after the Government of Trinidad and Tobago
(GOTT) launched its first anti-piracy campaign, two GOTT ministries
and a local NGO The Heroes Foundation joined the Embassy to
co-sponsor an Intellectual Property Rights-themed Ambassador's Song
and Verse Contest. Nearly 3,000 students participated in this
annual event that takes place during the Carnival season, a time of
year when the nation focuses on music and cultural performances, and
piracy's effects on local musicians are most visible. Student
contestants crafted original works in local musical styles (calypso,
rap, soca, extempo, etc.) or verse (choral speaking, monologues,
etc.) to deliver messages about the negative consequences of piracy
and counterfeiting and the value of respecting the law. The GOTT
Intellectual Property Office Controller has reported positive
outcomes from the contest, including TV station interest in
producing children's programming about IP protection. End summary.


2. (U) Post has worked with the GOTT Ministry of Education (MOE) to
organize the Ambassador's Song and Verse Contest during the run-up
to Carnival every year since 2003, to raise consciousness among
students about social ills through indigenous song and verse. Past
themes have included HIV/AIDS awareness, crime and drug demand
reduction (refs A and B). Students compete first in 8 school
district competitions, and the contest culminates in a national
final with the eight district winners competing for a TT$5,000
(around US$800) grand prize.

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REACHING OUT ON IP
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3. (SBU) The GOTT's IP Office's attempts since 1999 to teach IP in
schools have been largely unsuccessful due to difficulties gaining
MOE support or approval for IP curricula or access to schools. When
post's initial theme for this year's contest (sustainable
development) was abandoned due to lack of funding and MOE concerns
that compositions would focus on the politically sensitive debate
about Alcoa's proposal to construct an aluminum smelter in Trinidad,
the IP Office seized on the opportunity to start outreach on IP to

students. The IP office co-sponsored the contest, in hopes of
improving their access to the classroom. The two ministries and
Post agreed on "Don't Get Caught in the Web: Protect Intellectual
Property Rights" as the 2007 theme, which adopts part of the
existing anti-piracy slogan (ref C).


4. (U) The IP Office took the lead on developing the curricula for
educating teachers and students for the contest, planning on
expanding it for future school use. As music piracy and copyright
violations are the most widely understood IP-related concepts in
T&T, the IP Office and post framed the overall message for this
contest in terms of the need to respect intellectual property rights
in order to protect and encourage creativity and innovation.
Additional themes included the idea that counterfeit products can be
health and safety hazards, that violating intellectual property
rights is a punishable crime, and that links exist between
counterfeiters and the more serious criminal elements in T&T. INL
monies partially funded this year's contest in support of post's
drug demand reduction MPP goal.

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Logistical Difficulties
--------------


5. (SBU) The delayed start to contest planning and launch, due to
funding problems and the last-minute theme change, exacerbated
perennial organizational problems, many resulting from weak
coordination between MOE and school districts. Meanwhile, the
Ministry of Legal Affairs' involvement added new complexity to the
planning process. This year, two GOTT ministries needed to approve
all decisions, from dates of contests to designs for promotional
items. As a result, promotional items which in past years were
distributed at district competitions were not available until the
day of the national finals this year.

--------------
All's Well That Ends Well
--------------


6. (U) Despite the late start and the resulting low number of
district competitors, the National Final on February 13 was a
well-attended, high-energy event, in which the students' original
works took center stage. Nearly 3,000 students and guests filled
the stands of the Jean Pierre Complex to cheer on and learn from the
eight finalists as well as the local recording artists and a speaker
on trade secrets from local company Angostura. Artistic experts and

PORT OF SP 00000320 002 OF 002


experts on IP judged the finalists and awarded the top prize to a
duo from Tobago, who performed a monologue entitled "A Pirate is a
Pirate is a Pirate," which draws parallels between "traditional"
pirates of the high seas and modern-day pirates who steal products
of the mind. Other noteworthy acts include the lament of a street
vagrant whose inventions were stolen, leaving her penniless, and a
skit in which students cavorted on stage selling counterfeit
medicines and electronics and pirated CDs with impunity until
apprehended by a police officer bearing the slogan "R.I.P" (respect
intellectual property).


7. (U) Minister of Education Hazel Manning, initially skeptical that
school children would understand the IP theme, came away
enthusiastic about repeating this theme for future contests. Some
MOE district supervisors noted that students, all of whom have seen
pirated CD vendors on the streets of T&T, appeared to understand the
relevance of this theme better than some past themes, and would like
to focus on this subject again.


8. (U) IP Office Controller Mazina Kadir also admitted to having
doubts prior to the finals, fearing the short lead time and
organizational complications would undercut the educational impact
of the contest. After the contest, she commented to Econoff that
she thought the contest was worth the expenditure (around US$15,000
for the Ministry of Legal Affairs) and hoped to build on this event.
Noting that the student contestants appeared to have a better
understanding of the scope of IP issues than many of the local
artistes who serve as spokespersons for the anti-piracy campaign,
Ms. Kadir said she hoped to use video footage of the performances to
target younger audiences in promoting the upcoming World IP Day.
She also reported that a TV station contacted the IP Office after
this contest and expressed interest in developing children's
programming on IP.


9. (SBU) COMMENT: We agree that the school children got this theme
at least as well if not better than the adults. Their understanding
of IP went beyond music piracy, including understanding what they
consider to be small scale illegal activities are also crimes and
can lead to more serious illegal behavior, such as drug use. Their
performances might help to convince their elders that infringement
of foreign IP is as damaging as that of local products, a challenge
in the Caribbean. Judging from the ministries' difficulty in
establishing a working relationship during this event, the IP Office
will have its work cut out to introduce IP curricula in schools.
Post can play a role facilitating continued cooperation between
these ministries, both of which are long-standing strong Embassy
contacts, to increase GOTT outreach on IP issues. The GOTT has a
way to go in developing a culture of respect for IPR, but it is
making steady progress through education and outreach efforts, as
well as crackdowns on pirated CD and DVD vendors. END COMMENT.

SWEENEY