[A2k] Press Relase: USTR Calls for Comments on Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement

[Michael Palmedo]

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USTR Calls for Comments on Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement

September 12, 2010

Washington, D.C. -- Today the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR=
) called on the public to submit information to assist in the annual "Speci=
al 301" review on the adequacy and effectiveness of U.S. trading partners' =
protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR). To view t=
oday's Federal Register notice with further details on when and how to subm=
it comments, click here:
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/contentStreamer?objectId=3D090000648=
0a7bbba&disposition=3Dattachment&contentType=3Dpdf

"The Special 301 process pinpoints key challenges for U.S. intellectual pro=
perty-based businesses from piracy, counterfeiting, and other forms of IPR =
theft. To help stem these losses, the Obama Administration has made improve=
ments to Special 301 designed to focus on these threats to America's innova=
tion and creativity - two of our greatest strengths in the global economy,"=
 said Ambassador Kirk. "With more robust, public participation in the revie=
w, we can better achieve the goal of identifying and addressing the most se=
rious problems with protection and enforcement of IPRs."

The 2010 Special 301 review process will include the following key elements=
:

- USTR will provide more avenues for participation in the 2010 Special 301 =
review process by holding a public hearing to allow interested persons to t=
estify before the interagency IPR team about issues relevant to the review.=
 This new process provides an additional opportunity for direct public inte=
raction with officials of key agencies involved in Special 301 decision-mak=
ing.

- USTR will establish a new website dedicated to the Special 301 review pro=
cess, which will include links to current and historical information about =
the review.

- The 2010 Special 301 Report will highlight the coordination of U.S. Gover=
nment training and technical assistance efforts with objectives identified =
in the Report.

- The U.S. Government will continue to work with our trading partners throu=
ghout the year to strengthen IPR laws and enforcement efforts, and will pro=
vide IPR training and technical assistance to enhance those goals.

BACKGROUND

The Special 301 Report was put into effect in 1989 in accordance with the p=
rovisions of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. In 2009 UST=
R and the interagency IPR team reviewed 77 trading partners for the Special=
 301 Report. The USTR placed 46 trading partners on the Priority Watch List=
, Watch List, or on Section 306 monitoring.





-----------------------
Mike Palmedo
Assistant Director
Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property
American University Washington College of Law
4801 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20016
202-274-4442 | wcl.american.edu/pijip



Mike Palmedo
Assistant Director, PIJIP
American University Washington College of Law
202-274-4442 | mpalmedo@wcl.american.edu
http://wcl.american.edu/pijip