U.S. Funded Intellectual Property Training Program

Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
September 24, 2007

Intellectual Property Training Programs Funded

As part of United States efforts to combat transnational crime and promote the rule of law and the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) worldwide, the State Department approved thirteen projects totaling $3 million in anticrime funds. These funds enable U.S. law enforcement agencies and diplomatic missions to collaborate in the delivery of international enforcement training and technical assistance programs on intellectual property rights protection.

Training and technical assistance in the investigation and prosecution of intellectual property crime will be provided to foreign law enforcement partners in nations across the Pacific Rim, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs selected the projects after considering input from industry, other Federal agencies, our overseas missions, and Congress.

The thirteen projects are:

1) Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) $348,800
Seminars for enforcement officials focused on effective measures to implement the APEC Model Guidelines on supply chain integrity.

2) Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) $232,402
Training for ASEAN customs and border officials in anticipation of ASEAN establishment of a customs union.

3) Brazil $75,940
Training for enforcement in support of new Pernambuco Anti-Piracy Task Force.

4) Caribbean $170,114
IPR criminal enforcement training for Bahamas, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, with participation from Antigua.

5) Chile $206,890
Enforcement training for Chilean border and customs enforcement officials.

6) India $315,516
Judicial training focused on the Delhi and Bangalore high and regional trainings for police and judicial officials in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.

7) Indonesia $640,000
Continued funding for two full-time US senior technical advisors to assist Indonesia in implementing new optical disc anti-piracy laws.

8) Mexico $327,189
Enforcement training workshops in Monterey, Merida, Manzanillo, Guadalajara and Puebla/DF.

9) Nigeria $47,780
Training in support of the new Presidential-level IPR initiative called the Strategic Action Against Piracy (STRAP).

10) Russian Federation $115,788
A series of two-week visits by customs officials from each of Russia's seven customs districts to US ports of entry to observe practices and procedures.

11) South Africa $346,986
Training in combating high-tech related IPR crime in light of the expected expansion of high-speed Internet access prior to the next World Cup.

12) Turkey $47,595
A series of focused training exercises for Turkish border and customs officials on implementation of new Turkish customs regulations, including streamlining the application system where rights holders can register their IP, detection techniques, seizure procedures, "ex-officio" authority, cooperation with rights holders, and coordination with other enforcement agencies.

13) Ukraine $125,000
Assistance to assist Ukraine in creating a sustainable Ukrainian IPR enforcement training capability.

Released on September 24, 2007

ENDS

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