Getting Tough On Piracy
By Sonia K

Bandar Seri Begawan - As part of the United States efforts to combat transnational crime and promote the rule of law and the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) worldwide, the US State Department recently approved 13 projects totalling US $3 million in anticrime funds.

Two of these projects - valued at over half a million US dollars in total - will make training available to law enforcement officials from Brunei Darussalam and other APEC and Asean member countries.

According to a press release from the US Embassy in Brunei, these funds enable US law enforcement agencies and diplomatic missions to collaborate in the delivery of international enforcement training and technical assistance programmes on intellectual property rights protection.

US Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Emil Skodon said, "Protection of intellectual property is a key pillar for building an advanced, knowledge-intensive economy here in Brunei.

"The US 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," he added.

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 US 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 13 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 advisers 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. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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