[Ip-health] AP: US Deputy Commerce Sec. Tells Malaysia to Strengthen IP

[Mike Palmedo]

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=AP&Date=20060425&ID=5665395

Malaysia Urged to Protect Property Rights

Associated Press
April 25, 2006

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - A senior U.S. official on Tuesday urged
Malaysia to step up efforts in protecting intellectual property rights
of American companies, and said it would be a key issue to the
successful free trade pact between the nations.

"Malaysia has made progress. We appreciate that progress but clearly,
there is a lot more work that can be done, especially in optical discs
and pharmaceuticals," said U.S. Deputy Commerce Secretary David Sampson.

Malaysia is one of 36 countries on a U.S. watch list of serious
copyright violators. Illegal movies and game discs from Malaysia are
exported as far as South America and Africa and are sold openly
throughout the country.

The Business Software Alliance, a global anti-piracy watchdog backed by
industry heavyweights such as Microsoft Corp., Apple Computer Inc.,
Intel Corp. and Adobe Systems Inc., said 61 percent of all software used
in Malaysia in 2004, the latest reporting year, was illegal.

The global piracy rate is 35 percent and the Asia-Pacific rate is 53
percent, the BSA said.

"Intellectual property rights are a critically important issue to the
U.S. government, U.S. businesses and in particular, the U.S. Department
of Commerce," Sampson said at a press conference. "It is one of the
foundation issues in all the free trade negotiations that we are engaged
in."

The U.S. and Malaysia are scheduled to start free trade negotiations in
June 2006, and talks are expected to be completed by early 2007. The
United States is Malaysia's single biggest export market.

Last week, officials from Malaysia and Washington met to discuss
anti-piracy measures ahead of the start of free trade negotiations.
Malaysia pledged to crack down on pirated software and entertainment
discs, saying it would set up an intellectual property rights court as
part of efforts to stamp out copyright violators.

Sampson is on a tour of Southeast Asia, and Malaysia is his first stop.
Sampson will go to Singapore next, followed by Indonesia.