US embassy cable - 05ASUNCION811

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000811 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC, EB/TPP/IPE 
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR SCRONIN, LYANG 
USAID FOR AA/LAC ADOLFO FRANCO 
TREASURY FOR OSIA MAUREEN WAFER 
COMMERCE ITA SARAH COOK 
NSC FOR MIKE DEMPSEY 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD 
US SOUTHERN COMMAND MIAMI, FLORIDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, KIPR, PREL, PA 
SUBJECT: FOX SPORTS PLEASED WITH IPR AGREEMENT WITH PARAGUAY 
 
REF: 04 Asuncion 1113 
 
1.  As reported in reftel, Fox Sports Latin America signed 
an agreement with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce 
(MIC) on August 10, 2004 to work cooperatively to reduce 
piracy of Fox's programming in Paraguay.  Fox executives 
contacted post to express their satisfaction with the 
arrangement, which they said the MIC has strongly supported. 
Fox has begun making arrangements to renew the current 
commitment with the GOP, and they understand that the new 
Minister, Raul Vera, wants to renew the agreement. 
 
2.  Fox executives said that in the past 10 months, the MIC 
has helped open more than 30 investigations and issued three 
fines, and supported a formal complaint via CONATEL, 
Paraguay's communications regulatory agency.  A Fox press 
release notes that the Tax Administration will be 
cooperating as well by investigating the tax compliance of 
violators.  Fox told us that 15 small companies formerly 
offering pirated signals have legalized their services. 
Piracy has been reduced both as a result of the MIC's 
efforts and from the example set by a successful criminal 
case pursued by one of the Public Ministry's IPR 
prosecutors.  Fox recently signed a similar agreement with 
Colombia, the second such agreement in the region, although 
Fox said that Colombia has so far not shown the same level 
of commitment as has Paraguay. 
 
KEANE