The first Obama campaign for the presidency reached out to access to medicines campaigners to join the broad coalition he was building to gain the presidency. In response to their concerns, he declared that his presidency would “break the stranglehold…
This is a quick note about one of the items in this year’s Special 301 Report, released by USTR this morning. The report attacks the recent Indian Novartis ruling in unusually direct language. The ruling upheld the denial of a…
One of the diverse sources from which the international intellectual property regime emanates is an annual unilateral adjudication of foreign government trade policies by the United States under the so-called “Special 301” program and report. For over two decades the…
Yesterday the Interagency Special 301 Committee chaired by the US Trade Representative held its annual public hearing. An earlier blog described the government testimony – this one describes the comments from industry groups and civil society. Joan McGivern testified for…
This morning the Interagency Special 301 Committee chaired by the US Trade Representative held a public hearing as part of its annual review of foreign countries that “deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights” or that “deny fair…
American University Washington College of Law Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP) Associate Director Sean Flynn testified at today’s Special 301 hearing at the United States Trade Representative’s office. This blog summarizes some of the comments made to…
The U.S. Trade Representative has posted comments received for the 2013 Special 301 Review. The full docket is available here. In all, USTR received 30 comments from American or multinational firms and trade associations; seven from civil society groups or…
On New Year’s Eve, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued a Federal Register Notice announcing 2013’s Special 301 Review. This is the annual process in which an interagency committee led by USTR conducts a review “to identify countries…
German news publishers are trying to require licensing fees to be paid to them for indexing their content by search companies through a proposal that may move forward in the German Parliament later this week. This ‘ancillary copyright‘ (text here)…
The U.S. Trade Representative has released the 2012 Special 301 Report, in which it accuses countries of denying “adequate and effective” protection of intellectual property, or discriminating against American companies that rely on intellectual property protection. A short statement accompanying…
Beginning with the 2009 report, the USTR began hosting a public hearing and making small efforts to improve public participation in the Special 301 adjudication process. But, as in the past, the 2012 report shows that USTR largely ignores the…
On April 26, the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on “International Patent Issues: Promoting a Level Playing Field for American Industry Abroad.” Witnesses from industry and academia participated, and each listed what…