IPR Seminar by Amcham
Former U.S. Ambassadors to Argentina
Ambassador Wayne's Speech
REMARKS AT THE AMCHAM IPR SEMINAR
Hotel Panamericano
September 11, 2007
Thank you, Raul. Thank you Alejandro for extending this invitation to me.
Good morning.
Promoting intellectual property rights is a high priority for me in my job, and it is something that I firmly believe is good for Argentina. Hard work and creativity, with full protection, can contribute enormously to this country's competitiveness.
In my brief time in Argentina, I have been extremely impressed by the creativity and ingenuity of the Argentine people. I see your inventive spirit in science, music, business, books, movies and more.
Innovation is the key to continued economic growth, and it’s in all of our interests that innovation be nourished and protected. A strong IPR regime encourages creativity and permits us all to enjoy unprecedented breakthroughs in science, medicine and the arts. Protecting IPR is about creating a vibrant future for Argentina's current and future creators.
I am pleased to see the degree of international collaboration here at this conference. In a creative process, sharing ideas and working together is often one of the best ways to spark innovation. In the same way, we can improve how we do things by working together more closely.
I know that many of you are already making great efforts in this area. I am very impressed by the work that Customs is doing, preventing imports of numerous pirated and falsified goods. I have met several Argentine fiscales and investigators who work to prevent intellectual property crimes, and their task is not easy. But it is an important task and we should seek ways to collaborate with them and make their job easier and more successful.
I regret that I cannot stay for the conference – as you know, today is a day of remembrance for my country, and I must host a memorial service at my Embassy.
You are the protectors, the defenders of Argentine creativity. You are the protectors and the defenders of Argentina’s future. I can do no more than encourage you in that process, because it is up to people like you to take the steps needed to ensure that future Argentines have their creativity protected. I wish you every success in your efforts.
