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 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶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. -------------- 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 yQC7YQQ31QV:ctualPIIihTQ`QbfQj