Cablegate: Canada Stages Tour to Raise Ipr Awareness

VZCZCXRO5867
PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMT RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0787 1622011
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 102011Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8010
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000787

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAN AND EEB/TPP/MTA/IPC
STATE PASS USTR FOR SULLIVAN, MELLE, AND GARDE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD KIPR CA
SUBJECT: CANADA STAGES TOUR TO RAISE IPR AWARENESS

1. (U) On June 4, the Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network
(CACN) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) hosted
the Ottawa segment of the 2008 CACN/RCMP Canadian "Reality"
Tour to boost awareness of counterfeiting and piracy. The
tour began in April and will stop in ten cities across
Canada, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg,
Mississauga, Ottawa, Montreal, Moncton, Charlottetown and
Halifax. The presentations by government officials and
industry stakeholders highlighted the prevalence of
Intellectual property rights (IPR) crime in digital
entertainment, pharmaceuticals, and health products in
Canada. A representative from the RCMP said his organization
hopes that the GOC will grant ex-officio powers to Canadian
customs and border officials that would allow them to seize
pirated and counterfeit goods.

2. (U) The tour will conclude in Halifax at the RCMP and
INTERPOL's 2008 International Law Enforcement IP Crime
Conference from June 24-26. Several USG officials will be
speaking at this conference, including: Mark Filip, United
States Deputy Attorney General, Mark Cohen, U.S. Embassy
Beijing Senior Intellectual Property Attach, and Wayne
Paugh, Acting U.S. Coordinator for International Intellectual
Property Enforcement.

3. (SBU) Comment: Canada's protection of IPR is among the
weakest in the G8. It is encouraging to see the RCMP working
to increase public awareness of IPR crime in Canada. End
Comment

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