Press Release

U.S funds worldwide IPR training programs.

September 26, 2007

As part of United States efforts to combat transnational crime and promote the rule of law and the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) worldwide, the U.S. State Department approved thirteen projects totaling USD $3 million in anticrime funds.  Two of these projects, valued at over one half million U.S dollars in total, will make training available to law enforcement officials from Brunei Darussalam and other APEC and ASEAN member countries.  These funds enable U.S. law enforcement agencies and diplomatic missions to collaborate in the delivery of international enforcement training and technical assistance programs on intellectual property rights protection. 

Emil Skodon, Ambassador of the U.S. to Brunei, commented, “Protection of intellectual property is a key pillar for building an advanced, knowledge intensive economy here in Brunei.  The United States welcomes the efforts of His Majesty’s government to combat the theft of intellectual property in all its forms.  IPR fraud is not just illegal copies of computer software, movie DVDs, and music CDs.  It is also fake auto parts and consumer goods which can pose a serious hazard to the health and safety of the people of Brunei.  I hope that these new training opportunities, combined with the close cooperation of our two governments with intellectual property rights holders, will help further improve enforcement skills among police and customs officers and prosecutors.”

Training and technical assistance in the investigation and prosecution of intellectual property crime will be provided to foreign law enforcement partners in nations across the Pacific Rim, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa.  The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs selected the projects after considering input from industry, other Federal agencies, overseas missions, and Congress. 

 The thirteen projects are:

1) Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)  $348,800 
Seminars for enforcement officials focused on effective measures to implement the APEC Model Guidelines on supply chain integrity.

2) Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)  $232,402  
Training for ASEAN customs and border officials in anticipation of ASEAN establishment of a customs union.

3) Brazil        $75,940  
Training for enforcement in support of new Pernambuco Anti-Piracy Task Force.
4) Caribbean       $170,114  
IPR criminal enforcement training for Bahamas, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, with participation from Antigua. 

5) Chile        $206,890  
Enforcement training for Chilean border and customs enforcement officials. 

6) India        $315,516  
Judicial training focused on the Delhi and Bangalore high and regional trainings for police and judicial officials in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. 

7) Indonesia       $640,000 
Continued funding for two full-time US senior technical advisors to assist Indonesia in implementing new optical disc anti-piracy laws. 

8) Mexico       $327,189  
Enforcement training workshops in Monterey, Merida, Manzanillo, Guadalajara and Puebla/DF. 

9) Nigeria       $47,780  
Training in support of the new Presidential-level IPR initiative called the Strategic Action Against Piracy (STRAP). 

10) Russian Federation      $115,788  
A series of two-week visits by customs officials from each of Russia’s seven customs districts to US ports of entry to observe practices and procedures. 

11)  South Africa       $346,986  
Training in combating high-tech related IPR crime in light of the expected expansion of high-speed Internet access prior to the next World Cup.

12) Turkey       $47,595 
A series of focused training exercises for Turkish border and customs officials on implementation of new Turkish customs regulations, including streamlining the application system where rights holders can register their IP, detection techniques, seizure procedures, “ex-officio” authority, cooperation with rights holders, and coordination with other enforcement agencies. 

13) Ukraine       $125,000  
Assistance to assist Ukraine in creating a sustainable Ukrainian IPR enforcement training capability.