Earlier this week, USTR released the 2012 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, which describes trade barriers in the EU, the Arab League, and 58 countries. The report includes “an inventory of the most important foreign barriers affecting…
Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IP Czar) Victoria Espinel has published the 2011 Annual Report on Intellectual Property Enforcement. The report describes enforcement activities by the Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, Justice, State, and Health and Human Services, as well as…
PhRMA’s Special 301 comments to the U.S. Trade Representative include a section on the compulsory licensing provisions in India’s Patents Act. PhRMA recommends that “India should ensure that the CL provisions comply with TRIPS by… Eliminating price as a trigger…
On February 29, the PIJIP office submitted several Freedom of Information Act requests to the United States Trade Representative to gather more information on the current procedure for compiling Special 301 Reports. Among them was a general request for…
As the U.S. enters a new round of TPP negotiations this week, it is being asked to initiate a formal trade dispute with one of the other countries at the negotiating table. Inside U.S. Trade reports that Senator Hatch has…
On February 23, the Special 301 Committee held its third annual opening hearing as part of its review of foreign countries’ intellectual property policies. The committee was chaired by Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Intellectual Property and Innovation Stan McCoy. …
Good morning. Thank you for having me. I continue to believe that having a public hearing as part of the 301 process is important. My comments today will be in the vein of continuing the trend toward making this a…
The U.S. government has an unfortunate history of pressuring low- and middle-income countries to observe strong intellectual property protection on medicines. This blocks access to generics in countries unable to afford expensive brand name drugs sold by American drug companies. …
Tomorrow USTR will hold an open hearing as part of the 2012 Special 301 Review, in which it identifies countries that “deny adequate or effective intellectual property protection or deny fair and equitable market access to United States persons that…
On December 28, USTR published a request comments in the Federal Register for the 2012 Special 301 Report, its annual report which identifies countries that “deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights or deny fair and equitable market…
The markup of the Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R. 3261) has begun, and over 55 amendments have been proposed to the bill. Over the next two days, the House Judiciary Committee will debate each of them. There is an Amendments…
The office of the US Trade Representative has requested comments from interested parties on “Notorious Markets,” which include both physical markets and internet sites that distribute infringing content. This is the second year in which the USTR list of Notorious…