US embassy cable - 04ZAGREB1893

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, ETRD, KIPR, HR, Trade, Intellectual Property 
SUBJECT: CROATIAN REACTION TO DEMARCHE ON TRADE IN 
PIRATED AND COUNTERFEIT GOODS 
 
REF: STATE 214134 
 
1.  Econoff discussed reftel demarche with Predraga Boic- 
Ljubic, Assistant Minister for International Trade, on 
October 22.  We emphasized the U.S. desire to work 
cooperatively with the GOC to fight a common scourge, and 
noting that the USG has provided assistance to Croatian 
Customs through the SECI program and to the ministries 
and intellectual property office through DOC's CLDP 
(Commercial Law Development Program).  Boic-Ljubic agreed 
that Croatia, as a relatively high-wage country, had to 
protect its intellectual property, and noted the 
generally low level of copyright and trademark 
infringement.  (Comment: The activism of a relatively 
strong domestic music industry and national industrial 
champions has translated into a fairly low level of 
pirated products on domestic markets.)  She said that 
Croatian manufacturers were suffering from counterfeits 
themselves.  As an example, fake Vegeta seasoning and 
Faks dish detergent were being produced in Bosnia and 
sold in Bosnia and Croatia. 
 
2.  Boic-Ljubic noted the government was working on a new 
Trade Law and writing regulations for the new Consumer 
Protection Law, where they will closely examine the issue 
of imported counterfeits   The Ministry was also 
arranging conferences and a public education campaign to 
urge people not to buy cheap fakes.  Econoff noted that 
the Director of the Office of International Programs for 
the US Consumer Product Safety Commission might be coming 
to Zagreb and offered to help facilitate a meeting. 
 
DELAWIE 
 
 
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