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DE RUEHMC #0408/01 2461405
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021405Z SEP 08
FM AMCONSUL MONTERREY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3124
INFO RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 4125
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY 8615

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MONTERREY 000408 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO USPTO AND WILLIAM PAUGH, DOC ENFORCEMENT OFF OF SEC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRD KIPR MX
SUBJECT: PROMOTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN NUEVO LEON 
 
REF: A) MONTERREY 336  B) STATE 58059 
 
MONTERREY 00000408  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.   Summary.  Given the state governor's success in branding 
Monterrey as Mexico's "City of Knowledge," post has embarked 
upon an effort to promote intellectual property rights (IPR) and 
combat piracy in Nuevo Leon.  The Consulate has promoted an IPR 
agreement that would afford the state government, enforcement 
agencies, and the private sector opportunities to cooperate on 
IPR protection.  Concurrently, we are pursuing a project with 
the municipal government of Monterrey whereby the city would 
conduct an audit of its computers to ensure that only legal 
software is being used, an initiative which could serve as an 
example for businesses and organizations in the area. 
Simultaneously, Post has worked to raise IPR awareness through: 
a) discussion sessions at the local American Chamber of Commerce 
(AmCham), b) an international visitor program for an influential 
Monterrey-based IPR lawyer,   and c) training for a local patent 
examiner at United States PTO academy.  Post is also working 
closely with Embassy Mexico to secure funds for IPR outreach 
projects and coordinating with our contacts here to both develop 
a comprehensive plan to raise awareness of IPR issues in Nuevo 
Leon and train officials in the protection of intellectual 
property.  With additional support, we could capitalize on these 
relationships and implement a strong action plan that will help 
to advance this important mission goal.   End Summary. 
 
 
 
¶2.   Building upon a December 2007 IPR conference staged in 
Monterrey by post and Embassy Mexico, post has been developing a 
plan to increase coordination efforts among the public and 
private sector in Nuevo Leon to combat piracy, as well as raise 
awareness of the issue (reftel A).  One project we are pursuing 
is an agreement between the Nuevo Leon office of Mexico's 
Institute for Intellectual Property (IMPI), the state 
government, the regional office of the Attorney General (PGR), 
and a regional, private sector, IPR association (AMPII).  The 
agreement would be modeled after the one signed by the State of 
Mexico in 2006.  Initial meetings with the Regional IMPI 
Director and AMPII President to propose the idea of a state IPR 
agreement were well-received.  IMPI Director Mayra Libbet Nunez 
Vazquez proposed inviting the Northeastern regional association, 
INVITE, to become involved as well, in the hopes of pursuing a 
larger IPR agreement that would include all the northeastern 
states of INVITE (reftel B).  A subsequent meeting with the 
Executive Coordinator of INVITE, Francisco Javier Alejo Lopez, 
was also positive.  Alejo suggested that a state IPR agreement 
could also be used to try and harmonize state and local laws 
related to IPR protection and enforcement. 
 
 
 
¶3.   Over recent months Nuevo Leon state Governor Jose Natividad 
Gonzales Paras has sought to promote Monterrey international as 
Mexico's City of Knowledge.  To that end, the state has opened a 
research park which has attracted hi-tech companies (Motorola, 
Infosys, Wipro, etc.) and well-known universities (Monterrey 
Tec, Arizona State, Texas A&M).  Sensing an opportunity, we have 
urged the Governor's economic cabinet to strengthen the region's 
intellectual property enforcement apparatus, noting that 
investors will only channel money to research if they know that 
the fruits of the labors will be protected.  As a follow-up 
step, the Consulate's Public Affairs Section plans to bring a 
speaker here during the fall to discuss the connection between 
IPR protection, university-private sector cooperation, and tech 
transfer. 
 
 
 
¶4.  At the local level, we are currently pursuing a program 
entitled "El Ejemplo Empieza en Casa" (The Example Begins at 
Home) with the Monterrey municipal government.  This program, 
which was first implemented in the state of Jalisco last year, 
involves running a sample audit of government computers to 
ensure the use of legal software.  The purpose of this campaign, 
run in coordination with the Business Software Alliance (BSA) 
representative in Mexico City, is to reduce the use of pirated 
software and have government agencies serve as an example for 
private enterprises.  Initial meetings with the municipal 
government have been very positive and have included useful 
input from city information systems personnel.  If the program 
is successfully implemented, we plan to propose it to the state 
government as well. 
 
 
 
¶5.  Training in IPR is also greatly needed and we have nominated 
key individuals for specific courses and programs.  Gilberto de 
Hoyos Koloffon, a Monterrey attorney whose law firm specializes 
 
MONTERREY 00000408  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
in IPR, just returned from a successful International Visitor's 
Program on the protection of intellectual property rights.  De 
Hoyos, the President of AMPII, has been a key contact of ours in 
promoting IPR and is working with us to develop a strategy.  He 
returned from the IV trip with many useful IPR contacts which we 
hope to use for future projects.  In addition, post successfully 
nominated an IMPI patent examiner for a Patent Basic Course at 
the Global Intellectual Property Academy in Arlington, VA.  We 
are also staying abreast of future courses that might be offered 
in the area of enforcement, particularly concerning Customs, in 
the interest of nominating local PGR agents who have also 
expressed interest in receiving training from U.S. experts.  In 
addition, we had the local AmCham sponsor an IPR presentation 
for its members.  The presentation, given by De Hoyos, generated 
so much interest that the Amcham scheduled a second session. 
Both presentations were very well-attended and participants, 
representing local companies, expressed their concern over the 
high level of IPR violations in Monterrey, as well as interest 
in learning more about registering patents and trademarks. 
 
 
 
¶6.   Post has held various strategy meetings with governmental 
officials, Embassy EconOff, post PAO and local IPR contacts to 
discuss how to best pursue these ongoing projects and to 
generate suggestions for further promoting IPR locally.  One 
promising idea is to host an IPR awareness seminar using FY 2008 
IPR Outreach Pilot Program funding (ref B).   Such an event 
would generate a great deal of interest among all players in the 
Monterrey business and law enforcement community.  With 
additional funds and support, we could capitalize on these 
relationships and implement a strong action plan that will help 
to advance this important mission goal. 
WILLIAMSON