On 24-26 April 2013, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Customs Organization (WCO) and INTERPOL, in cooperation with the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the International Chamber of Commerce / Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (ICC/BASCAP) organized in Istanbul, Turkey, the work of the Seventh Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy. The event was held under the auspices of Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of Turkey.

The Congress brought together circa 1000 senior officials, representatives of national and regional offices of intellectual property, delegates from public and private sector, governmental and non-governmental organizations from over from over 100 countries, who presented their position and views on building respect for intellectual property rights, and on effective methods to counteract the phenomenon of counterfeiting and piracy. Moldova was represented at the Congress by Ion Tiganas, Deputy Director General of AGEPI.

The work started with welcoming messages presented by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime

Minister of Turkey, Hayati Yazıcı, Turkish Minister of Customs and Trade, Francis Gurry, WIPO Director General, Ronald K. Noble, INTERPOL Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, WCO Secretary General, who noted the importance of the event and welcomed its extraordinary organization.

The Congress aimed to build cooperation to enhance public awareness – and concerted action – to successfully confront these problems. It seeks to create a better understanding of the elements fuelling the trade in illegitimate goods and to develop sustainable solutions to stop it.

Currently, most states have developed and harmonized laws and practices in the field, which are concentrated largely in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy. Meanwhile, the legal instruments should be supplemented with actions on education and awareness of the society and on training public authorities responsible for enforcement of intellectual property rights. Congress participants have proposed to address these issues, and the ultimate goal is presenting state experience in combating counterfeiting and piracy and in identifying legal, administrative, social or technical solutions, which would ensure the protection of right holders and provide guarantees on the safety and health of final consumers.

In this regard, emphasis was placed on the following topics:

• Identification of concrete actions to promote intellectual property;
• Measuring economic indicators affected by counterfeiting and piracy;
• Protection of intellectual property rights in the digital environment;
• New initiatives on education and awareness of society;
• Social responsibility of infringement of intellectual property rights;
• Development of cooperation between public institutions and right holders;
• The role and importance of intermediaries in the process of enforcement of rights;
• Measures for identifying web sources, providing counterfeit products or pirated files;
• Risks of counterfeit medicines;
• Innovative strategies for changing public perceptions of counterfeiting and piracy;
• IT tools on enforcement of intellectual property rights at the border;
• Involvement of organized crime in transnational production and distribution of counterfeit products. Relations between counterfeiting and piracy and other forms of illegal activities;
• Coordination of actions of control institutions.

In the same context, participation in the Global Congress was a good opportunity for discussions and meetings with representatives of foreign institutions and organizations in the field, such as:

Juan Hardoy, Director of Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy, Microsoft – Topics discussed: Microsoft’s participation in the public campaign on raising awareness of lyceum pupils (action organized by AGEPI and the Ministry of Education of RM); Joint organization of training seminars for representatives of the General Police Inspectorate and the Prosecutor General’s Office;

Toe Su Aung, President of the International Trademark Association (INTA) – Topics discussed: INTA involvement in public consultation on amending the legal framework in the field of enforcement of intellectual property rights; INTA participation in the public campaign on raising awareness of lyceum pupils (action organized by AGEPI and the Ministry of Education of RM); Joint organization of training seminars for representatives of the Customs Service, AGEPI participation in regional and international seminars organized by INTA; Active involvement of INTA in cooperation between public authorities and right holders to combat counterfeiting;

Paul Maier, Director of the EU Observatory on Intellectual Property – Topics discussed: Participation of the coordinator of the Observatory on Intellectual Property within AGEPI in the annual sessions of the EU Observatory; Participation of a judge from RM in the biannual conference for training judges in the EU.

Further information on the Congress in Istanbul can be obtained at: http://www.ccapcongress.net

Image source: http://www.interpol.int/News-and-media/News-media-releases/2013/PR052