Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BANDARSERIBEGAWAN128
2008-04-30 08:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Cable title:  

BRUNEI SPECIAL 301 REPLY - MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER ON IP

Tags:  ECON ETRD KIPR BX 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1687
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHBD #0128 1210803
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300803Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4182
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHZS/ASEAN COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000128 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD KIPR BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI SPECIAL 301 REPLY - MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER ON IP
PROTECTION

Ref: A) Wallace-Friedman e-mail of 4/25/08
B) State 45407
C) Bandar Seri Begawan 111 and previous

UNCLAS BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000128

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD KIPR BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI SPECIAL 301 REPLY - MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER ON IP
PROTECTION

Ref: A) Wallace-Friedman e-mail of 4/25/08
B) State 45407
C) Bandar Seri Begawan 111 and previous


1. (SBU) Per ref A instructions, DCM informed Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade (MoFAT) officials on April 25 of the decision
not/not to place Brunei on the Special 301 Watch List. DCM followed
up, delivering the full demarche to MoFAT Permanent Secretary for
Trade Dato Lim Jock Hoi on April 28. Note: ref B instructions
received April 30.


2. (SBU) Dato Lim responded that the Government of Brunei (GoB)
wants to work together with the U.S. government and intellectual
property rights holders to improve IP enforcement in Brunei. He
welcomed the proposed USPTO-GIPA co-sponsored enforcement workshop
as an important step and repeated the GoB request to have rights
holders provide points of contact to MoFAT to facilitate cooperative
enforcement efforts (ref C). Lim said he would work with the
Customs Department to help secure GoB (Ministry of Finance)
co-sponsorship of this workshop on June 3-4, as proposed.


3. (SBU) Lim added that he would be working to establish a standing
interagency IPR working group to maintain focus on the issue of IPprotection and to follow up on issues of concern rised in our
demarche and in our Trade and Investent Council (TICO) meetings
including the need fr a review of existing IP legislation.
Reiteratin his views on building public support for strongerIP
protections (ref B),Dato Lim stated that an pproach that focuses
on health and safety concers about pirated goods would have the
biggest impct on both the law enforcement comunity and the general
public.


4. (SBU) Lim also stated that Brunei was considering joining the
Convention on Biodiversity on the rationale that Brunei's pristine
tropical rainforest jungle could be a source of future IP products
from Brunei. Joining the Convention would help ensure protection of
the Heart of Borneo areas in Brunei as well as being a step towards
building a stronger case for the protection of IP being in Brunei's
national interest.



SKODON