VZCZCXRO1927
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0180/01 0510126
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 200126Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9364
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC 0722

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000180 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/EP, AND EB/IPC 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR--BISBEE 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USPTO 
BANGKOK FOR USPTO--NESS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD ECON KIPR CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA: COMMENTS FOR SPECIAL 301 REVIEW 
 
REF:  A.  STATE 9475 
 
      ¶B.  07 PHNOM PENH 1438 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Post believes that Cambodia falls below the 
threshold for inclusion in the Special 301 Report Watchlist at this 
time.  Cambodia is not fully TRIPS compliant and its IPR enforcement 
is currently weak.  However, senior government officials have 
publicly committed to improving the IPR regime, the government has 
actively sought USG assistance in this area, and officials are 
taking some steps to uphold IPR laws--including confiscating pirated 
materials and registering trademarks.  While pirated optical media 
and counterfeit products are pervasive in the market place, 
virtually all of the products (with the exception of copies of Khmer 
language movies and music) are produced elsewhere.  The local market 
is small, with most sales of foreign products to tourists and 
foreigners residing in Cambodia, and damage to the U.S. industry is 
minimal.  After decades of turmoil beginning in the early 1970's and 
ending only in 1998 with the surrender of the last Khmer Rouge 
units, Cambodia has come late to awareness of the IPR issue.  Given 
its conflict-ridden past and eagerness to improve IPR enforcement, 
post believes Cambodia should be given more time to bring its 
actions in line with its intentions.  End Summary. 
 
IPR Environment 
--------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Although not yet a signatory to the Berne Convention, 
Cambodia has most of the legislation in place to protect 
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), including laws on trademarks, 
copyrights and patents.  However, Cambodia's IPR protection regime 
is not fully compliant with its WTO TRIPS commitments.  In November 
2005, the WTO granted a deadline extension until 2013 for Cambodia 
and other least developed countries to enforce copyright laws and 
begin accepting patents. 
Cambodia has not fully implemented its commitments under the BTA in 
the area of IPR protection and enforcement. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Infringements of IPR are pervasive, ranging from the sale 
of pirated computer software, music compact discs, and DVDs to the 
sale of counterfeit products, including watches and drugs.  The 
expense and scarcity of books has led to the sale of photocopied 
books, including college textbooks and comic books. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Piracy of domestic media is a growing problem and is 
increasingly recognized as such by the government.  There have been 
occasional police raids on pirated copies of domestic CDs or DVDs, 
always at the request of the copyright holder, and rarely, if ever, 
leading to prosecution.  Cambodian production companies have 
increased their complaints about piracy over the last year, and 
Culture Ministry statistics show that movie production has dropped 
from 61 films made in 2006 to 25 films made in 2007. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Piracy of foreign movies and music is limited and has 
relatively little impact outside Cambodia's borders.  Post is not 
aware of the existence of plants to manufacture DVDs in Cambodia, 
although small shops duplicate copyrighted material on rewritable 
CDs.  The great majority of pirated discs on the market are produced 
in Malaysia or China.  Given the small size of the Cambodian middle 
class--and the absence of Khmer language voice overs or subtitles in 
Western movies--there is very little local demand.  Sales are mostly 
to tourists and foreigners living in Cambodia.  Damage to the U.S. 
industry appears to be very small. 
 
Enforcement Actions 
------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has taken some 
measures to enforce its IPR obligations.  In October 2005, police 
officers raided a factory that was manufacturing counterfeit 
Marlboro cigarettes.  The factory manager was later convicted in 
absentia.  In October 2007, acting on a request from an independent 
bookseller, the police launched a small raid against photocopied 
foreign books being sold at local markets.  Periodic confiscations 
of pirated materials netted 47,000 discs (almost entirely Khmer 
music and movies) in 2007.  At the January 2008 annual conference of 
the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An 
announced that the government would step up its efforts to prosecute 
copyright violators. 
 
¶7. (U) Since 1991, the Ministry of Commerce has maintained an 
effective trademark registration system, registering more than 
30,000 trademarks, including 5,500 for U. S. companies.  On several 
occasions, the Ministry of Commerce has observed the use of American 
trademarks, such as Holiday Inn, Pizza Hut and McDonald's.  When 
these infringements have become known, the Ministry has obtained 
agreement from the violators to change the names of their 
establishments, resolving 32 such disputes in 2007. 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000180  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Cambodia Eager for IPR Capacity Building Assistance 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Senior Cambodian officials publicly affirm the importance 
of IPR protection, both to protect their country's nascent film and 
music industries and in order for Cambodia to participate fully in 
world markets.  In both the February and November 2007 Trade and 
Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks, Commerce Minister Cham 
Prasidh talked of creating a link between trade and IPR.  At the 
November meeting, he proclaimed his ambition for Cambodia to become 
a "model country" for IPR in the same way that Cambodia has blazed a 
trail in labor rights, and specifically spoke of developing a policy 
to ensure that anyone legally producing IP-sensitive goods in 
Cambodia would be scrutinized to ensure that they did not export 
pirated materials.  According to the Minister, draft laws on 
Geographical Indicators, Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits, and 
Plant Breeders Rights are under review, and the government is 
drafting sub-decrees on IP border measures, compact disc production 
and trade, IPR enforcement procedures, and collective management 
organizations. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Senior Cambodian officials and heads of IPR-related 
government offices publicly evince a strong interest in working with 
the U.S. to improve the IPR regime, but a variety of factors make 
meaningful progress difficult to achieve at the working level.  Like 
nearly all Cambodian government agencies, the IPR bodies suffer from 
severe human capacity limitations.  While Cambodia regularly 
participates in USPTO regional IP training, only a small number of 
officials can understand English well enough to participate.  These 
staff members--who are often among the most effective workers--are 
quickly promoted out of their IP positions.  Poor donor coordination 
has led to some wasted efforts (such as separate efforts to 
translate the same documents).  Some Cambodian requests for TA are 
for items that relevant USG agencies cannot provide or typically 
find are not effective--e.g. office equipment, long-term 
advisors--or to achieve objectives not required under TRIPS 
obligations--e.g. establishing a copyright registration system.  USG 
officials have taken pains, where appropriate, to coordinate these 
requests with other donors who are able to provide this assistance. 
In some cases there appears to be a real reluctance at the working 
level to simplify and rationalize the registration system's 
complexity, which provides opportunities for extracting bribes from 
rightsholders. 
 
¶10.  (U) Despite the difficulties listed above, U.S. agencies 
continue to work with Cambodia to improve its IPR enforcement.  In 
addition to reviewing requests made during the November TIFA 
meeting, USPTO is planning to conduct a copyright seminar in 
Cambodia in 2008, perhaps in conjunction with a delegation of IP law 
professionals coming in April via the People to People citizen 
ambassador program.  USPTO is also working with the USTR to fulfill 
U.S. Trade Representative Schwab's pledge to send an IP capacity 
building team to Cambodia. 
 
Recommendation 
-------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Like many developing countries, Cambodia has come late to 
awareness of the need to protect IPR.  Suffering through decades of 
turmoil that began in the early 1970's and which included the 
genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodians only began to establish 
political and economic stability in 1998 when the last Khmer Rouge 
units laid down their arms.  With this turbulent past, it is not 
surprising that IPR initially was not a high priority for the RGC. 
Nevertheless, there is now growing awareness within the senior ranks 
of the RGC and increasing desire to increase its capabilities and to 
cooperate with the USG on this issue.  Given Cambodia's 
conflict-ridden past, recent enforcement actions, and intense 
interest in cooperating with the U.S., both bilaterally and in the 
ASEAN framework, post believes that the USG should give Cambodia 
additional time to fully establish its IPR regime before considering 
its inclusion on the Special 301 Watchlist. 
 
MUSSOMELI