Cablegate: Croatian Reaction to Demarche On Trade In

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ZAGREB 001893

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD KIPR HR
SUBJECT: CROATIAN REACTION TO DEMARCHE ON TRADE IN
PIRATED AND COUNTERFEIT GOODS

REF: STATE 214134

1. Econoff discussed reftel demarche with Predraga Boic-
Ljubic, Assistant Minister for International Trade, on
October 22. We emphasized the U.S. desire to work
cooperatively with the GOC to fight a common scourge, and
noting that the USG has provided assistance to Croatian
Customs through the SECI program and to the ministries
and intellectual property office through DOC's CLDP
(Commercial Law Development Program). Boic-Ljubic agreed
that Croatia, as a relatively high-wage country, had to
protect its intellectual property, and noted the
generally low level of copyright and trademark
infringement. (Comment: The activism of a relatively
strong domestic music industry and national industrial
champions has translated into a fairly low level of
pirated products on domestic markets.) She said that
Croatian manufacturers were suffering from counterfeits
themselves. As an example, fake Vegeta seasoning and
Faks dish detergent were being produced in Bosnia and
sold in Bosnia and Croatia.

2. Boic-Ljubic noted the government was working on a new
Trade Law and writing regulations for the new Consumer
Protection Law, where they will closely examine the issue
of imported counterfeits The Ministry was also
arranging conferences and a public education campaign to
urge people not to buy cheap fakes. Econoff noted that
the Director of the Office of International Programs for
the US Consumer Product Safety Commission might be coming
to Zagreb and offered to help facilitate a meeting.

DELAWIE

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