US embassy cable - 05HANOI1122

UNCLAS HANOI 001122 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/PD FOR ASESHADRI; IIP/G/EAP FOR SPRIETO; 
IIP/T/ES FOR RTAYLOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, VM 
SUBJECT: EVALUATION OF SPEAKER TIMOTHY TRAINER ON 
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, TRACKER 23377 
 
 
A.   DATES: April 25-29, 2005 
 
B.   AUDIENCES/VENUES: During a full week of programming in 
three economic centers across Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, 
Danang and Hanoi), Tim Trainer reached out to a wide range 
of audiences, including government officials, economic and 
market management enforcers, customs officials, young 
entrepreneurs, software businesspeople, lawyers, writers, 
artists, publishers, lecturers, students and economic 
reporters.  Institutions that welcomed Mr. Trainer included 
the National Office of Intellectual Property, Vietnam 
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vietnam Software 
Association, Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association, the Danang 
College of Economics and Business, Hanoi Open University, 
private businesses and many other agencies. 
 
Working closely with post's Economic Section, PAS arranged 
for Mr. Trainer to be the luncheon keynote speaker at an 
IPR Seminar hosted by the Ambassador, addressing over 50 
participants in government and the private sector. In 
addition, PAS prepared a live feed of one presentation via 
digital videoconferencing to Hanoi Open University, 
reaching additional lecturers and faculty there.  A 
recorded videotape of that session will also be used for 
future educational outreach events. 
 
C.   EVALUATION/POSSIBLE IMPACT: Outstanding.  Mr. Trainer 
gave in-depth and authoritative analyses of intellectual 
property rights (IPR) enforcement to audiences here.  He 
argued that early, effective implementation of an IPR 
regime is a much quicker path to economic development than 
taking short-cuts afforded by piracy and ignoring 
international standards.  He explained that IPR is not an 
insolated issue but rather embedded in broader questions of 
transparency and rule of law, key elements of the Vietnam 
Mission's MPP goals. Mr. Trainer was frank in discussions 
with businessmen, reminding them that the actor best 
situated to combat piracy is the company itself.  Audiences 
appreciated his insight on how government and businesses 
could work together to protect IPR for Vietnamese 
businesses.  By asking participants to imagine themselves 
as an entrepreneur looking to start a business, he 
effectively conveyed the importance of IPR protection at 
each stage of business development. 
 
The speaker was creative and adapted each of his talks to 
his specific audience, whether it was in a formal workshop 
with government officials, a classroom setting, a luncheon 
presentation or an informal dinner with businessmen.  He 
urged local businesses to be educated about existing rights 
and regulations, and then take a more proactive approach to 
protecting their copyrights. As Vietnam is a recent 
signatory to the Berne Convention on IPR and is on the path 
to becoming a member of the World Trade Organization, IPR 
has become one of the hottest topics here.  Mr. Trainer's 
timely and persuasive presentations stirred discussion and 
positive debate about the next steps that must be taken by 
key players in government and the private sector. Improved 
understanding of the issue will form a powerful advocacy 
group of policymakers who can search for ways to implement 
IPR laws more effectively. 
 
Mr. Trainer received positive coverage of his interviews 
with leading Vietnamese newspapers, the Phap Luat (Legal 
issues) newspaper and the Tien Phong on-line journal. 
Highlighting Mr. Trainer's insights on the benefits of IPR 
protection to economic growth, the key role of the 
government to IPR law enforcements, as well as the 
proactive role of businesses in protecting their IP assets, 
the articles increased awareness of IPR issues among 
readers. 
 
E. QUALITY OF U.S. SUPPORT AND IIP OFFICES INVOLVED: 
Outstanding.  Post highly appreciated IIP offices for their 
excellent cooperation in bringing Mr. Trainer to Vietnam 
for the successful program. Post would like to especially 
thank Richard Taylor for his invaluable assistance. Post 
would like to get more speakers of Mr. Trainer's expertise 
and professionalism for future U.S. speakers' programs. 
 
MARINE 
 
 
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