U.S. Embassy Grants Rs 750 000 for Intellectual Property Rights Video Clips

Port Louis, September 22, 2011:

Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) Troy Fitrell, the Public Affairs Officer Vanessa Harper and Political Officer David Campbell participated in the launch of the Go Genuine video clips today at headquarters of the National Computer Board (NCB). The U.S. Embassy is a member of the National Committee for Promoting the Use of Genuine Software, as the U.S. believes strongly in the value of protecting intellectual property rights (IPR) and works closely with Mauritian authorities to promote such protection.

“The larger sense of IPR is on Mauritius setting up infrastructure to protect its institutions,” CDA Troy Fitrell said, in his remarks at today’s launch. “A recent study estimates the global economic value of counterfeiting and piracy to be $650 billion. This figure is expected to escalate to $1.8 trillion by 2015. Digitally pirated music, movies and software accounts for $30-75 billion and is expected to rise to $80-240 billion by 2015,” he added.

The U.S. Embassy has been actively involved in the IPR awareness campaign in Mauritius in the past 3 years.  Three Cooperative Grant Agreements in favor of IPR Awareness Campaigns for a total amount of Rs 750,000 with the Mauritius Society of Authors (MASA), Microsoft and the National Computer Board were signed. With MASA, the awareness campaign included talks to school children in both Mauritius and Rodrigues as well as advertisement in the media and billboards. The campaign with Microsoft targeted the visiting public at the IT trade show Infotech.  The ongoing agreement with NCB focuses on awareness of the dangers of using pirated software, through the printing and distribution of 10 000 pamphlets to various target groups, including the general public, visitors to IT trade shows, and high school children.  Four digital awareness clips were also produced and launched at the NCB today. The clips will be broadcast on the MBC/TV channels and will be posted to the Go Genuine website (www.gogenuine.mu) and social networking sites.