Remarks of Ambassador Charles L. Glazer
Remarks to IPR Judges Workshop, Hilton Princess Hotel
August 19, 2008

The modern world’s economy depends on an ever-increasing supply of knowledge and innovation—which becomes stifled whenever and wherever intellectual property is unprotected.

You have a very important role. If you don’t enforce the law in a uniform, consistent and transparent manner those rights will not be protected.

You're taking the initiative to be here today, to sit down with colleagues from the United States, Honduras, and Panama, to develop a "bench book" that you and your colleagues across the country will be able to reference so that intellectual property cases are consistently and fairly adjudicated under Salvadoran law. 

The steps you're taking to develop uniform rules and procedures, once put into place, will give confidence to Salvadoran artists, entrepreneurs, and foreign investors that their intellectual property will be protected. 

Predictability and uniformity of judgment breed confidence.  This is why passing -- soon -- a revised criminal procedures code and creating uniform rules of evidence are so important to ensure transparency and predictability in criminal courts and give judges, prosecutors and police the critical tools necessary to ensure public security, like asset forfeiture legislation.  Of course it is up to the legislative branch to pass the revised code.  That is for them to decide, but it is my hope that they reflect thoroughly on the impact such legislation can have on public security and improved international cooperation.   

Now I'd like to turn to the importance of intellectual property rights.  Protecting intellectual property promotes a competitive marketplace.  Intellectual property theft harms El Salvador by deterring investment and decreasing tax revenue. 

El Salvador has strong intellectual property laws on the books, which gives you a good foundation.  Now the key is enforcement.  The next step falls to the police and the prosecutors to build a strong case, and to you, the judges, to fairly and consistently decide those cases in accordance with Salvadoran law.  Working together over the next three days, we can help further strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights in El Salvador to spur innovation and strengthen the investment climate.

Thank you