The United States State Department has received requested funding to operate 11 projects totalling nearly $4 million in fiscal year 2009 “combat transnational crime and promote the protection of intellectual property rights worldwide,” according to State. The funds enable US law enforcement agencies and diplomatic missions to “collaborate in the delivery of criminal enforcement training and technical assistance programs on IPR protection to foreign law enforcement partners,” it said. Five of the projects target Asia, the rest range across Eastern Europe, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the State Department release, the eleven projects are:
1) Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) $251,600
A series of regional training seminars for ASEAN prosecutors and judges.
2) Indonesia Senior Advisors $640,000
A program for two U.S. senior advisors to provided training and assistance to Indonesian Police and the Indonesian Directorate General for IPR in combating copyright piracy.
3) Asian Intellectual Property Enforcement Network $150,000
The third in a series of regional conferences designed to improve real-time law enforcement cross-border cooperation in the Pacific Rim.
4) Eastern Europe IP Law Enforcement Coordinator $590,000
Extension of the Department of Justice regional coordinator based in Sofia, Bulgaria to continue ongoing work to improve IP enforcement coordination across the region.
5) Mexico $657,000
IPR criminal enforcement training for Mexican prosecutors, judges, and customs officers, with a particular focus on Internet piracy.
6) Russian Federation $80,060
Customs and border enforcement training for officials in the Russian Far East
7) South Asia Regional $250,000
A training workshop in New Delhi that will bring together IPR enforcement officials from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the People’s Republic of China to share best practices and strengthen regional enforcement.
8) Sub-Saharan Africa Regional $972,000
IPR regional workshops for law enforcement officials in West Africa (including Nigeria) and nations belonging to the East African Community (EAC) and Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) with particular emphasis on fighting the spread of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, including HIV-AIDS drugs.
9) Tri-Border of South America $160,856
Training for law enforcement in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile and Peru focused on regional approaches to confronting IPR piracy in the Tri-Border region.
10) Ukraine $50,000
Training and technical assistance to Ukrainian IPR enforcement officers to enable real-time identification of counterfeits in the field.
11) Vietnam $98,756
IPR enforcement training for Vietnamese Market Watch and Economic Police officers.