US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB1675

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001675 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EB/IPC: WILSONSF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, KIPR, HR, Trade, Intellectual Property 
SUBJECT: IMPLEMENTATION OF WIPO INTERNET TREATIES IN 
CROATIA 
 
1.  ON JULY 22 WE DISCUSSED REFTEL POINTS WITH HRVOJE 
JUNASEVIC, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE CROATIA STATE 
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE, AND ON JULY 23 WITH DIJANA 
SIMIC, ASSISTANT MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 
    WHOSE MINISTRY HAS THE LEAD ON COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION. 
 
2.  JUNASEVIC CONFIRMED THAT THE CROATIAN PARLIAMENT 
RATIFIED THE "INTERNET TREATIES" IN APRIL 2000, AND THAT 
CROATIA BECAME PARTY TO THE WIPO PERFORMANCES AND 
PHONOGRAMS TREATY ON MAY 20, 2002, AND TO THE WIPO 
COPYRIGHT TREATY ON MARCH 6, 2002.  BOTH, ENGLISH AND 
CROATIAN TEXTS OF THE AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN 
THE OFFICIAL NATIONAL GAZETTE.  JUNASEVIC ADMITTED THAT 
CROATIAN LEGISLATION IS NOT FULLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH 
THESE AGREEMENTS.  THE FINAL DRAFT COPYRIGHT LAW, WHICH 
SHOULD BRING CROATIAN DOMESTIC LEGISLATION INTO 
CONSISTENCY WITH THE "INTERNET TREATIES," IS BEING 
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH.  IN ORDER TO ENSURE FULL 
COMPLIANCE WITH BOTH EU DIRECTIVES AND WIPO AGREEMENTS, 
THE LEGISLATION HAS BEEN IN THE DRAFTING PROCESS SINCE 
FALL OF 2001.  CONSULTANTS FROM THE MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE 
IN MUNICH WILL REVIEW IT IN AUGUST.  JUNASEVIC EXPECT 
THAT NEW COPYRIGHT LAW WILL BE IN PARLIAMENTARY 
PROCEDURE BY SEPTEMBER. 
 
3.  NOTE: THE DRAFT COPYRIGHT LAW IS ONE OF THE SEVEN 
LAWS ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THAT CROATIA NEEDS TO PASS 
AS PART OF THE HARMONIZATION PROCESS FOR ITS ACCESSION 
TO EU.  THESE ARE: THE COPYRIGHT LAW, PATENT LAW, 
TRADEMARK LAW, GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS LAW, INDUSTRIAL 
DESIGN LAW AND LAYOUT DESIGN OF INTEGRATED CIRCUITS. 
ACCORDING TO JUNASEVIC, THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO SUBMIT 
THESE LAWS AS A TOP PRIORITY, AS IT HAS WITH ALL 
LEGISLATION RELATING TO CROATIA'S EU CANDIDACY. 
 
    FRANK 
 
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