US embassy cable - 05LIMA5252

UNCLAS LIMA 005252 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA (CBARONE), IIP/T/ES (GCHRISTISON), INFO 
WHA/PDA (MDCONNERS/GADAMS/SLEBENS/), WHA/PD (GGALLEGOS), WHA/AND 
(JMONSERRAT) 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, PE 
SUBJECT: PROGRAM REPORTING: SPEAKER ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 
RIGHTS -- TRACKER 25094 
 
 
1.   Armando Irizarry, Counsel for Intellectual Property Rights 
at the Federal Trade Commission's Office of Policy and 
Coordination, visited Lima under PAS auspices from November 2-3, 
2005.  Mr. Irizarry's schedule included meetings with key IPR 
players from the public and private sectors, a videoconference, 
participation in the American Chamber of Commerce's (AmCham) IPR 
conference and press interviews. Mr. Irizarry's message was 
consistent:  IPR enforcement is critical to create an attractive 
investment climate and requires a coordinated government effort. 
He also focused on U.S. IPR best practices and the importance of 
IPR protection with regards to the U.S. Andean Free Trade 
Agreement. 
 
2.   During his visit, Mr. Irizarry met with GOP officials at the 
National Institute for the Defense of Competition and 
Intellectual Property (INDECOPI); lunched with members of the 
Motion Picture Association; and spoke at the Amcham's tenth 
annual conference on Intellectual Property Rights titled 
"Opportunities and Development: Intellectual Property and FTA." 
Approximately 300 people attended the event, a mix of prominent 
business leaders, young entrepreneurs and Peruvian government 
officials.  RPP, Peru's leading national radio station, 
interviewed Mr. Irizarry live and Centrist Daily Peru 21 (Lima 
circulation 40,000) published a one-page article in its November 
4th edition titled "U.S. Demands Peru to intensify enforcement 
actions to fight against piracy." 
 
Mr. Irizarry's message reached two key audiences, business 
leaders, and through extensive press coverage and 
videoconference, the general public.  Both groups received a 
clear signal of the importance of patents and IPR protection to 
the USG, from a noted USG expert.  This message is especially 
timely as Peru and the U.S. enter the final stages of FTA 
negotiations with IPR protection being one of the most sensitive 
chapters. 
 
3.   U.S. support: Program was funded with FY06 I bucks. Post 
wishes to thank IIP/T/ES, Gretchen Christison for recruiting an 
excellent speaker and for her close coordination with post. 
 
POWERS