ALLEGATIONS CONCERNING USAID CONTRACTOR

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000247 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR L; STATE PLEASE PASS USAID/OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREK KIPR AS SUBJECT: ALLEGATIONS CONCERNING USAID CONTRACTOR ¶1. (SBU) Post has been contacted by Peter Farrell, General Manager of Australian Medicines Handbook Pty Ltd (AMH), concerning what he calls an "apparent case of intellectual property theft." Farrell alleges that PHRplus, now called HealthSystems 20/20, which he describes as "an agency of USAID", plagiarized their "Australian Medicines Handbook" almost in its entirety in writing the Jordan National Drug Formulary 2006. ¶2. (SBU) Farrell said he has attempted to contact Ann Lion Coleman, whom he describes as the Project Director for HealthSystems 20/20, but has received no response. He has sent two emails to "Hotline, OIG (USAID)" (copying Embassy Canberra),on February 23, 2009, and again on March 12 after not receiving a response from the first. ¶3. (SBU) Farrell says he prefers to resolve this issue through negotiation, but is prepared if necessary to "pursue it with the utmost vigour through the U.S. and Australian courts.' ¶4. (SBU) Post has told Farrell by email that we received his email, and that we would alert State and USAID to his concerns. Post plans to take no further action on this unless instructed to do so. POC at Embassy Canberra is Wendell Albright, albrightwi@state.gov, 612 6214 5824. Post will forward emails from Farrell upon request and identification of the appropriate person to send them to. CLUNE