Remarks

Remarks by Chargé D’Affaires Judith ChammasConference on Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in Bangladesh Opening Ceremony

Dhaka

July 20, 2005

State Minister for Cultural Affairs Selima Rahman, Minister for Industries Matiur Rahman Nizami, distinguished colleagues and guests - salaam aleikum, namoshkar and good morning.

I am happy to see so many of you here this morning to join us in promoting the importance of protecting intellectual property rights.

Around the world, we have seen in recent decades huge leaps in science and technology that have enabled people to live longer, eat better, and lead happier and more productive lives.  Innovations in information and transportation have closed geographical and other gaps to make us truly one world, one market, and eventually one village.  Innovations in art and communication have opened up our minds to new cultures and new ways of mutual understanding.

A great American inventor, Thomas Edison, once said “I never did anything worth doing by accident; nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work." People like Thomas Edison have the capability to think in ways that people have never thought before. The key to harnessing that capability is to ensure their desire to create, their drive to invent.

A world without protection for ideas is a world without incentive to innovate. Today, great innovations are as much the product of huge investments in human capital as they are the product of individual creativity. When a new drug saves lives, it is the result of billions of dollars and many years of development and testing.  When a new musician captures our attention, it is thanks to a recording label and the many industries, from media to electronics, that allow so many people to hear the final product.

Trademark, patent, and copyright piracy is a serious and growing problem in Bangladesh, one that affects not only foreign companies but also Bangladeshi businesses and the entire national economy. This Conference aims to highlight Intellectual Property Rights as an issue and a challenge for economic and social development. We seek to prevent IPR violations from stifling the creativity of artists and inventors in Bangladesh and elsewhere.  Strong, effective intellectual property protection is also critical to providing a climate conducive to investment for domestic and global entrepreneurs.

We all appreciate the positive effects that innovations have had on our lives, and we all believe that the future holds many more exciting opportunities. By protecting intellectual property rights, we can ensure that critical investment in scientific research, technology and the arts remains worthwhile and an engine for human advancement.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Timothy Browning from the US Patent and Trademark Office and William O. Hennessey, who joins us from the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire. Over the next two days, I am looking forward to hearing their analyses and recommendations on the protection of Intellectual Property Rights. I know that Bangladesh has both the will and the ability to combat this growing problem.  With collaboration between the business and cultural communities and a long-term commitment to tackling the problem, I am confident that we can continue to see progress and innovation flourish here. 

I would especially like to thank the Minister for Information and Communication Technology Abdul Moyeen Khan, and the Minister for Law, Moudud Ahmed, as well as all of the artists, inventors and other innovators for participating in the Conference.

I also extend our thanks to the American Chamber of Commerce for helping us to organize this event and to Dayle Johns, from the Economic Section of the U.S. Embassy, for her unflagging efforts. The seminars here and around Dhaka over the next two days promise to be fascinating, and I encourage all of you to participate in as many events as possible.

Thank you.

 

Note:  A Bangla translation of this article is also available from the American Center.  If you are interested in the translation, please call the American Center Press Section (Tel: 8813440-4, Fax: 9881677; e-mail: DhakaPA@state.gov; Website: dhaka.usembassy.gov