Public Remarks
Opening Remarks at IPR Roundtable "Protection of copyright and related rights in the digital era"
William J. Burns, U.S. Ambassador to Russia
Moscow, Russia, October 31, 2007
It is a pleasure for me to be involved in this event on copyright protection in our digital era. I join Ambassador Franco in applauding the organizers for arranging this discussion.
In today's world, with a dynamic consumer market and ever-new technologies, protection of intellectual property rights is a top priority for global businesses and the international trading community. Intellectual property protection is an indispensable tool for scientific and commercial innovation, as well as creativity in art. Piracy and IP theft have a detrimental effect on the development of national industries for each of our countries. Therefore, IPR protection is a key issue in expanding global prosperity as well as protecting the cultural heritage of each of our countries.
Of course, IPR issues in the digital era present special challenges. The nature of the Internet provides the violator not only with anonymity, but also protection by hiding behind a corporate mask. That is why we view corporate criminal liability as an essential element of IPR enforcement.
Furthermore, today's pirates use increasingly sophisticated means to steal the fruits of other peoples' labor. Their schemes frequently have an international character – they steal works made in one country, sell them to consumers in other countries and hide their profits in still other countries. Combating such complicated crimes requires a complete set of legal and investigative tools and, most importantly, close cooperation between law enforcement and industry at both the domestic and international levels.
This conference is an important step forward in our joint battle to combat piracy. By bringing together industry and law enforcement from our countries, it provides an opportunity to establish valuable contacts at an operational level, and to identify gaps in each of our countries' legislation that inhibit enforcement efforts.
The U.S., the EU, and the Russian government have long had productive dialogues on IPR cooperation. Looking around the room today, I see quite a few familiar faces from past IPR events held at my residence and elsewhere. The bilateral WTO market access agreement between the U.S. and Russia, signed last year, includes a comprehensive agreement on IPR issues. The U.S. and the Russian WTO teams, as well as the European Commission, have been working closely together within the multilateral process, including on IPR issues, to advance Russia's bid to accede to the World Trade Organization.
Today's Forum is an opportunity to hear the views of rights holders, as well as those in the Russian government who are fighting to protect these interests. This seminar is structured so as to link the interests of the public and private sectors in a practical manner and to assist field investigators and enforcement officials in their work. The results of your cooperation are evident by the gradually decreasing number of counterfeit and pirated products on the Russian market.
Let me once again thank you for the invitation and wish you great success!