IP enforcement ‘lacking’ in most watch list countries, says 301 Report
IP enforcement is lacking in “virtually” all of the countries on the US’s priority watch list, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) in its "2017 Special 301 Report".
Released on Friday, April 28, the report is the result of an annual review of the state of IP protection and enforcement for US trading partners around the world.
According to the report, one of the “top trade priorities” for US President Donald Trump’s administration is to use all possible sources of leverage to encourage other countries to open their markets to US exports of goods and services.
Countries such as Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan don’t provide “adequate or effective” border enforcement against counterfeit and pirated goods, according to the report.
The USTR once again placed China on the list, because of longstanding and new IP concerns that “strongly merit attention”.
“China is home to widespread infringing activity, including trade secret theft, rampant online piracy and counterfeiting, and high levels of physical pirated and counterfeit exports to markets around the globe,” said the report.
The report did highlight some best IP practices by trading partners, including the specialised IP unit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which the USTR said could be used as a “model” for other cities in the country and worldwide.
IP awareness and educational campaigns were also mentioned in the report.
The UK’s “Get It Right From A Genuine Site” campaign, which is a collaboration between rights owners and internet service providers, highlights the “value” of creative industries to the UK, said the USTR.
Mark Elliot, executive vice president of the global IP centre at the US Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement: “Many of the countries this report identifies as providing inadequate IP protections also score poorly on the US Chamber’s International IP Index.
“IP enforcement is not a concession that countries make to one another; rather, it is an investment in economic development and growth.”
The report can be viewed in full here.
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