Cablegate: Turkey Finally Joins Wipo Treaties

VZCZCXRO6314
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #1605 2491417
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051417Z SEP 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7379
INFO RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 3210
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4701
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS ANKARA 001605

SIPDIS

EEB/TPP/IPE FOR JOELLEN URBAN
DEPT PLEASE PASS USTR FOR JCHOE-GROVES AND MMOWREY
DEPT PLEASE PASS USPTO FOR MICHAEL SMITH
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/CRUSNAK, KNAJDI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON KIPR USTR WIPO TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY FINALLY JOINS WIPO TREATIES

REF: A. 07 ANKARA 1578
B. ANKARA 1471

1. On August 28, after more than a year of delay, Turkey
finally deposited its instruments of accession for the WIPO
Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms
Treaty with the WIPO in Geneva, with no reservations. The
treaty will enter into force on November 28, 2008. As
reported in ref A, Turkey ratified the two treaties on May 8,
2007 and expected to formally join in July of that year.

2. Although the process took much longer than anticipated,
the entry into force of the two so-called "Internet" treaties
is yet another positive step in Turkey,s IPR enforcement
regime. Taken together with the positive new programs
outlined in ref B, it helps to move forward the GOT's stated
intention of improving IPR protections and aligning Turkey's
laws with international standards.

Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey

WILSON

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