Cablegate: Turkish Patent Institute On Modernization, Ties

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ANKARA 006373

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EB/TPP/MTA/IPC
DEPT PLEASE PASS USTR FOR BPECK
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/DDEFALCO
DEPT PASS LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
DEPT PASS USPTO

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD KIPR TU
SUBJECT: Turkish Patent Institute on Modernization, Ties
with U.S. Counterpart, Zyprexa

Sensitive But Unclassified. Please Handle Accordingly.

1. (SBU) In a November 5 meeting with Econ Couns,
Econoff and Econ Specialist, Turkish Patent Institute
(Turkish acronym TPE) President Yusuf Balci said he
would like to reach out to the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office (PTO) in the context of his institution's
modernization and development, much of which has been
financed by the World Bank. Econ Couns briefed Balci on
Eli Lilly's Zyprexa issue and urged him to take action
to prevent marketing approval for patent-infringing
generic copies of this drug.

2. (U) Econ Couns paid an introductory call on Yusuf
Balci, President of TPE, which moved into a large and
modern facility in Ankara last spring. Balci told us
that the World Bank had financed a large part of TPE's
modernization project, which included the move to a new
facility.

3. (U) TPE is a member of the European Patent Institute
(EPI), and uses EPI and the Russian Patent Institute to
conduct patent searches. Balci stated that he hoped TPE
would gradually begin to take on an increasing share of
these searches in house. Balci hopes that Turkey's EPI
membership and European orientation will not detract
from fruitful cooperation with non-European counterparts
like PTO. Balci participated in the recent PTO-Justice
Ministry workshop on IPR enforcement, and his staff has
said that they plan to nominate an employee for PTO
training to be held in the spring of 2005. Balci told
us that he hopes to go beyond training programs and
seminars, and to engage with PTO in exchange of
expertise and knowhow. Econ Couns undertook to
communicate this desire to PTO.

4. (SBU) Econ Couns took the opportunity to raise Eli
Lilly's concerns about the applications of generic
manufacturers for marketing approval of a copy of
Zyprexa, which has a valid Turkish patent not due to
expire until 2016. The company is concerned that one
application is in the final stages of the approval
process. We provided copies of recent correspondence
initiated by the Ambassador and Senator Lugar on this
problem, and asked Balci to help ensure that the patent
is not infringed. Balci, who was not familiar with the
issue, responded that he had no power to stop marketing
approval by the Health Ministry, but offered to contact
counterparts in that Ministry to convey our concerns.
Edelman

© Scoop Media