US embassy cable - 04TELAVIV2041

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002041 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USTR FOR NOVELLI AND SAUMS 
USDOC FOR 4520/CLOUSTAUNAU AND NWEIGLER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2009 
TAGS: ETRD, PREL, IS, ECONOMY AND FINANCE, LABOR AND COMMERCE, U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS 
SUBJECT: UNHAPPY ISRAELI TRADE MINISTER REACTS TO POSSIBLE 
PRIORITY WATCH LIST DESIGNATION 
 
REF: STATE 71498 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
 1.  (C)  Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Industry, Trade 
and Communications Ehud Olmert called the Ambassador late 
April 1 to complain about reports that the USG intended to 
put Israel back on the 301 Priority Watch List.  Olmert said 
such an action would be unjustified.  Olmert noted that he 
had promised the Ambassador and visiting Under Secretary of 
Commerce Juster that the pharmaceutical data protection issue 
would be solved.  As for the other main IPR issue of concern 
to the U.S. - national treatment for sound recording rights 
holders - Olmert said the GOI was in the process of drafting 
a letter from Minister of Justice Tommy Lapid.  That letter 
would say that the protection of U.S. royalty rights under 
our bilateral treaty was being studied.  The letter would 
affirm the GOI's intention to protect royalty rights for U.S. 
music recordings, he said.  Olmert said the GOI was very 
unhappy about being asked to take actions on IPR under the 
threat of an unfavorable 301 decision, especially in light of 
the positive actions the GOI has already said it would 
undertake. 
 
2.  (C)  The Ambassador noted that the USG had not yet 
received Lapid's letter, nor had any official decision on 
data protection been communicated to the USG.  The Ambassador 
also noted that he had been instructed to send a demarche to 
Minister Olmert and Minister Lapid outlining our IPR concerns 
(reftel).  (Note:  That demarche and an accompanying letter 
from the Ambassador were sent to the ministers on April 2.) 
The Ambassador advised Minister Olmert to ensure the GOI 
acted upon our concerns as soon as possible, in order to 
resolve these contentious IPR problems once and for all. 
 
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KURTZER