US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1598

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001598 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EB/TPP/MTA/IPC - AERIAS AND EUR/SE 
DEPT PASS LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
DEPT PASS USPTO FOR ELAINE WU/MICHAEL SMITH 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/DDEFALCO 
DEPT PLEASE PASS USTR FOR LERRION/BPECK 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, KIPR, TU 
SUBJECT: IPR Training Needs and Best Practices 
 
 
REF:  SECSTATE 42796 
 
 
1. Post's answers to reftel questions are as follows: 
 
 
A.1. Post IP Training:  Embassy Ankara has facilitated 
Turkish participation in several training programs on 
intellectual property (IP) protection.  In August 2003, the 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs organized a three- 
week international visitor program in the U.S. for four 
Turkish officials working on IP issues.  The officials 
visited five cities in the U.S., and met a wide range of USG 
agencies working on IP.  The Embassy also nominated and sent 
a Turkish Customs officer to the U.S. Patent and Trademark 
Office's (USPTO) Visiting Scholars Program in May 2003, and 
an Industry/Commerce Ministry official to the same program 
in 2002.  USPTO proposed an IP enforcement training program 
to be held in Turkey in September 2004. 
 
 
A.2. NON-USG IP TRAINING:  THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) HAS BEEN 
ORGANIZING AND FINANCING IP TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR TURKISH 
OFFICIALS BOTH IN TURKEY AND IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.  IN 
SEPTEMBER 2002, THE EU ORGANIZED A TEN-MONTH TRAINING COURSE 
FOR EIGHT TURKISH JUDGES SPECIALIZED IN IPR ISSUES IN FIVE 
EU COUNTRIES.  THE JUDGES RECEIVED EXTENSIVE TRAINING ON THE 
EU'S IP LEGISLATION AND ENFORCEMENT.  IN ADDITION TO THIS 
LONG-TERM TRAINING, THE EU'S TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND 
INFORMATION OFFICE (TAIEX) ORGANIZED IP SEMINARS IN TURKEY, 
IN WHICH SEVERAL TURKISH JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS 
PARTICIPATED.  TAIEX ALSO FINANCED EXPENSES OF SOME TURKISH 
OFFICIALS TRAVELING TO VARIOUS EU COUNTRIES TO ATTEND IP 
SEMINARS. 
 
 
THE TURKISH JUSTICE MINISTRY AND THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE, 
WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, PLAN TO 
CONDUCT AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON IP ENFORCEMENT IN MAY. 
 
 
THE FRENCH AND TURKISH POLICE ORGANIZED A SEMINAR ON 
COUNTERFEIT AND IP RIGHTS FOR TURKISH POLICE OFFICERS IN 
JUNE 2003.  REPRESENTATIVES OF PHILIP MORRIS, THE MOTION 
PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA AND OTHER PRIVATE SECTOR 
REPRESENTATIVES PARTICIPATED IN THE TRAINING. 
 
 
IN ADDITION TO THESE INTERNATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS AND 
SEMINARS, ANKARA UNIVERSITY LAW FACULTY'S RESEARCH CENTER ON 
INTELLECTUAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY (FISAUM) ALSO ORGANIZES 
IP SEMINARS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS ON A REGULAR BASIS. 
 
 
B.1. EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS:  PARTICIPANTS IN THE TRAINING 
PROGRAMS HAVE GENERALLY TOLD US THAT EXPOSURE TO IP 
PRACTICES IN A RANGE OF OTHER COUNTRIES HAS BEEN USEFUL. 
WHILE TURKISH OFFICIALS PREFER TRAINING IN THESE FOREIGN 
COUNTRIES, SEMINARS IN TURKEY ARE MORE COST-EFFECTIVE AND 
CAN REACH A GREATER NUMBER OF OFFICIALS.  TURKISH OFFICIALS 
PREFER TO HAVE SEPARATE MEETINGS WITH VISITING EXPERTS TO BE 
ABLE TO DISCUSS THEIR PARTICULAR ISSUES. 
 
 
B.2. BEST PRACTICES:  IT IS USEFUL AND APPRECIATED WHEN POST 
IS ABLE TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS BETWEEN VISITING EXPERTS OR 
SPEAKERS AND THEIR HOST COUNTRY COUNTERPARTS.  THESE 
MEETINGS ARE MOST USEFUL WHEN VISITORS ARE WELL-BRIEFED ON 
THE HOST COUNTRY'S IP AGENDA AND LEGISLATION. 
 
 
B.3. NON-TRAINING RELATED STRATEGIES:  IN JANUARY 2002, THE 
EMBASSY INVITED PAUL KILMER, A HOLLAND AND KNIGHT ATTORNEY 
SPECIALIZING IN IP ISSUES, TO TURKEY.  KILMER ADDRESSED AN 
ANKARA BAR ASSOCIATION SEMINAR ON IP, AND MET WITH THE 
RELEVANT GOT OFFICIALS TO SHARE HIS EXPERIENCES IN THIS 
FIELD.  THE PROGRAM PROVED AN EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR SHARING 
THE U.S. EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA, AND WOULD BE WORTH 
REPEATING WITH MORE OF A FOCUS ON ENFORCEMENT ISSUES.  FOR 
EXAMPLE, FUNDING COULD BE ALLOCATED FOR TRAVEL AND PER DIEM 
FOR A USG OFFICIAL KNOWLEDGEABLE ON ENFORCEMENT MATTERS TO 
ADDRESS ONE OF THE IP CONFERENCES PERIODICALLY HELD IN 
TURKEY. 
 
 
C.1. POST TRAINING:  POST HAS SENT ITS IP OFFICER TO NFATC'S 
TWO-DAY IP COURSE AND IS SATISFIED WITH THE TRAINING 
RECEIVED. 
 
 
C1/C.2. HOST COUNTRY TRAINING/SUPPORT PROGRAM SUGGESTIONS: 
EMBASSY BELIEVES THE GOT COULD BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL 
TRAINING OR RELATED ASSISTANCE IN SEVERAL AREAS, 
PARTICULARLY IN ENFORCEMENT.  GOT OFFICIALS ARE VERY 
RECEPTIVE ABOUT IP TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND IN SOME CASES CAN 
CONTRIBUTE IN-KIND SUPPORT.  FOR EXAMPLE, USPTO PROPOSED AN 
IP ENFORCEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM TO BE HELD IN TURKEY IN 
SEPTEMBER 2004.  THE JUSTICE MINISTRY HAS OFFERED USE OF ITS 
CONFERENCE FACILITIES, AND MAY BE WILLING TO DO SO FOR OTHER 
IP-RELATED TRAINING PROJECTS.  THE JUSTICE MINISTRY IS 
CLOSELY LINKED TO FISAUM AND HAS ORGANIZED SEVERAL TRAINING 
PROGRAMS AND SEMINARS THERE. 
 
 
EMBASSY CONSIDERS THE USPTO'S TWO-WEEK VISITING SCHOLARS 
PROGRAMS TO BE VERY USEFUL FOR TURKISH IP OFFICIALS, BUT 
NOTES THAT IN SOME OF THESE SESSIONS, LACK OF FUNDS FOR 
TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION HAS BEEN A BARRIER TO TURKISH 
PARTICIPATION.  THE DEPARTMENT MAY WANT TO CONSIDER 
PROGRAMMING SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO COVER ONE TURKISH 
PARTICIPANT ANNUALLY IN THE USPTO PROGRAM. 
 
 
ONE OF OUR CONTACTS, A JUDGE SPECIALIZING IN IP ISSUES AT 
THE JUSTICE MINISTRY, RECENTLY TOLD US THAT THE ANKARA 
UNIVERSITY LAW FACULTY'S RESEARCH CENTER ON INTELLECTUAL AND 
INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY (FISAUM) HAS A LIBRARY WITH A LARGE 
VARIETY OF IP-RELATED MATERIAL, MOSTLY FROM EU SOURCES.  THE 
JUDGE THOUGHT THE LIBRARY WOULD BENEFIT FROM ANY ADDITIONAL 
READING MATERIAL, BOOKS OR PERIODICALS, FROM AMERICAN 
SOURCES. 
EDELMAN