VZCZCXRO9008
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHAK #1743 0901514
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311514Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4461
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 7058
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0848
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 1013
RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA 0236
RUEHIK/AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI 0012
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0209
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 0596
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS ANKARA 001743 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INL/RM AND EB/TPP/IPE 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR JCHOE-GROVES, LERRION 
DEPT PASS USPTO FOR JURBAN AND EWU 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/CRUSNAK 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD KIPR KCRM TU
SUBJECT:  TURKEY: PROPOSAL FOR INL-FUNDED IPR TRAINING 
ON DIGITAL COPYRIGHTS AND WIPO TREATIES 
 
REF: A) STATE 34733 
 
     B) ANKARA 854 
 
¶1. (U) As requested ref A, this message provides a 
proposal for FY '06 INL-funded IPR training in Turkey. 
 
¶2. (SBU) While Turkey's IPR regime improved 
significantly in 2005, gaps in protection, particularly 
in enforcement, remain.  Turkey will most likely remain 
on the Special 301 Priority Watch List in 2006 due to 
concerns about non-TRIPS and EU compliant pharmaceutical 
data protection and continued high levels of piracy and 
counterfeiting.  Digital piracy remains a serious 
concern for industry, and while the GOT is taking 
earnest steps to curb this problem (including increased 
seizures and stronger judicial penalties for convicted 
pirates (ref B)), its officials would benefit from 
additional training on this subject. 
 
¶3. (U) Turkey has yet to ratify both the WIPO 
Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) and the WIPO 
Copyright Treaty (WCT).  Industry continues to emphasize 
this as a cause for concern in their statements on 
Turkey's IPR protection and their Special 301 
submissions.  GOT officials have indicated to us that 
they hope the treaties will be ratified this year (ref 
B), but to date no action has been taken by the GOT to 
do so. 
 
¶4. (U) We propose a two-day training program in Ankara 
focusing on digital copyrights and the implementation of 
the WIPO treaties.  On the subject of digital 
copyrights, the training would cover both substantive 
concerns and emerging issues and discuss recent 
developments in the U.S. and the EU.  The WIPO component 
of the training would focus on the importance of the 
treaties and the legislation needed to adequately 
implement the treaties upon ratification.  In this 
proposed training, the USPTO would deliver the 
assistance program to a target audience of Ministry of 
Culture and Tourism officials, Turkish Patent and 
Trademark Office Officials, and select parliamentarians. 
 
¶5. (U) The assistance program will be conducted by a USG 
TDY team in Turkey, with a target date of the last 
quarter of '06.  We estimate that approximately USD 
$15,000 will be needed.  This assistance would include 
travel and per diem for the USG TDY team, transportation 
and logistical support for the team while in Ankara, and 
the reproduction of training materials.  We anticipate 
that the GOT will provide a training facility. 
MCELDOWNEY