[asia-apec 68] IPR in APEC

[RVerzola]

APEC to insure IPR protection

          DAVAO CITY Aug. 16 (UPI)- Member economies of the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation that have had records of intellectual
property right (IPR) violations will have to shape up or face reprieve
from the emerging formidable trade grouping, officials said Friday.

           Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Federico Macaranas said APEC
will ensure that the region respects and protects IPR by way
legislation, administration and enforcement. The world economy is
changing and we must also change our ways," Macaranas said.

           The 7-year-old APEC hopes to completely open trade and
investments in the region by the year 2010 for industrialized
economies and 2020 for developing economies.

           It groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong
Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua
New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the
United States.

           Business Software Alliance, a Washington-based
international lobby group for software companies, had said software
piracy alone deprives manufacturers of billions of dollars in revenues
annually.

   China, the Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong have been identified
as countries where IPR violations run in the 90 percent level.

   "Copying licensed software is illegal (and) a form of stealing,"
BSA vice president Ron Eckstrom had said. "If you cannot afford to buy
a BMW, you have no right to go into anybody's garage and steal one."

          "Losses to due to software piracy  in 14 Asian countries
exceeded $4.3 billion in 1994, with an average  piracy rate of 68
percent," BSA said. Asia accounts for 29 percent of the $15.2 billion
lost to software piracy worldwide, the group added.

           Lack of technological and financial resources should no
longer be used to justify piracy, Macaranas said, as countries should
learn to develop and market their own products. Let's never use
poverty as an instrument to steal," he said.

          Macaranas is in Davao City, 600 miles (960 km) southeast of
Manila, together with some 500 other APEC officials and experts
holding committee discussion prior to a three-day Senior Officials
Meeting starting Aug. 21.

          The committee meetings are expected to include pledges made
by trade ministers of APEC-member economies who met in July in
Christchurch, New Zealand, where they reiterated their commitment to
develop open, rules-based and nondiscriminatory multilateral trading.
The trade ministers also promised to improve their individual action
plans or IAPs to put greater emphasis on transparency, comparability
and dynamism.
          
          APEC's IPR Group submitted a collective action plan that
would lead to the elimination of piracy in the region.

          The group's report to the Committee on Trade and Investment
identified various commitments APEC countries were willing to make to
ensure the IPR protection of all members.

          Among the areas of action included in the IPR Group report
were the holding of a dialogue on IPR policies among APEC economies,
conducting a survey of the current status of IPR protection and the
exchange of information systems on trademarks and IPR administrative
systems.

          IPR was one of the areas of liberalization introduced in the
3rd APEC Summit in Osaka, Japan. The next session of the IPR Group is
expected to be held in Japan in August.

          APEC hopes to implement fully the Trade Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights or TRIPS Agreement not later than January
1 in the year 2000. The group expects the agreement to facilitate
technical cooperation and assistance between and among members.