Austrian NGOs Support World IPR Day

UNCLAS VIENNA 000504 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD KIPR EINT AU SUBJECT: Austrian NGOs Support World IPR Day ¶1. According to the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI) Austria, intellectual property employs 180,000 Austrians and creates EUR 8 billion in added value. To appeal to local pride and improve public awareness, IPR advocacy groups have highlighted the losses suffered by local artists to piracy. ¶2. Pirated optical discs (OD) available from across the Czech border continue to be a factor on the Austrian market, and the police have remained busy arresting local sellers, recently busting a pair in possession of 30,000 pirated ODs. However, internet piracy or file sharing has gained more attention. At a conference in 2008, the producer of the Academy-award winning film "The Counterfeiter" estimated the film lost EUR 1.3 million from illegal downloading. ¶3. For World IPR Day, Austrian organizations focused attention on promoting public respect for intellectual property. On April 23, a delegation of prominent artists and IPR advocacy leaders presented to Parliamentary President Barbara Prammer a signed manifest on the protection of intellectual property. The manifest was also printed on 750 signs placed throughout major cities in Austria. The purpose was more about gaining publicity than an appeal for parliamentary assistance -- a representative for the Federation of Newspapers remarked publicly that current anti-piracy legislation in Austria is sufficient. ¶4. IFPI is planning more local events, but advocates say action is necessary internationally rather than in Austria. Former Austrian EU Commissioner Franz Fischler said publicly that the WTO should handle IPR issues and noted that recent EU efforts have so far been inconclusive. Post will continue to monitor Austrian efforts to enforce IPR protections and GoA perspectives at the European level. KILNER