USTR BRUNEI VISIT MOVES FORWARD IP PROTECTION & HALAL FOOD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000111

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS
DEPARTMENT PASS USTR FOR WEISEL, BAE AND EHLERS
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO USPTO
SINGAPORE FOR FCS, DHS AND FAS
KUALA LUMPUR FOR FAS
BANGKOK FOR FCS:NESS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD KIPR EAGR PREL BX
SUBJECT: USTR BRUNEI VISIT MOVES FORWARD IP PROTECTION & HALAL FOOD
DIALOGUE

Ref: A) Bandar 69 B) Bandar 43 C) 07 Bandar 276 D) 07 Bandar 165

E) 06 Bandar 12 F) Chan-Kong-Cottrell e-mail 10 April 2008

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) USTR Director Karl Ehlers moved forward our dialogue on
intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement and trade in halal
food with Brunei during his March 29-31 visit. Ehlers cautioned key
Government of Brunei (GoB) interlocutors that the Special 301 review
for Brunei was still underway and the USG would need to see stronger
enforcement action on IPR protection. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade Permanent Secretary Dato Lim Jock Hoi reiterated the GoB
commitment to combat IPR fraud (ref B, C, & D),noting special
concern for food and auto parts fraud. In separate meetings, IP
industry reps strongly endorsed a proposed USG and Brunei Customs
co-sponsored seminar on IPR enforcement. On halal food trade, GoB
officials said that a formal answer to USG questions on halal rules
would be forthcoming soon and explained that the Brunei Halal label
was a branding effort and would not/not be required to import halal
food to Brunei. However, Brunei was not likely to liberalize
restrictive practices on raw halal meat products. END SUMMARY.

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IPR EnforcemenRJt)?@QQm~mbat IPR fraud. Director
Ehlers discussed the Special 301 review under way in the U.S.,
noting that industry representatives had been much more active than
in the past in registering concerns about IPR violations in Brunei.
He noted that a final decision would be announced at the end of
April, and cautioned that the USG would be looking for significantly
stronger enforcement efforts by the GoB in the coming months.
Ehlers passed to Lim a list prepared by an industry association of
46 retail outlets in Brunei believed to be selling pirated optical
disks.


4. (SBU) Dato Lim responded in line with previous discussions on IPR
enforcement (refs A, C & D),emphasizing the importance of rights
holders filing complaints and participating in the enforcement
process through to completion of the court case. Lim noted that
Bruneians, and the GoB, were increasingly concerned with health and
safety risks associated with fake food and auto parts increasingly
&}j%2Xnoted that as Brunf`]hwPQSQormation technology companies in the so)QQ.5QjD[6}S WASHDC (%vNT FOR EAP/M$QZ
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