Special 301 Report

On Monday, the Office of the US Trade Representative issued its Special 301 Report – its annual ‘top of the pop’ IP offenders.
On the Priority Watch List are:

1. Argentina,

2. Chile,

3. China,

4. Egypt,

5. India,

6. Israel,

7. Lebanon,

8. Russia,

9. Thailand,

10. Turkey,

11. Ukraine, and

12. Venezuela

Europeans can breathe a sight of relief, the EU has been removed from the Watch List altogether thanks for its revision of the rules on geographical indications, though a number of European Member States remain on the lower grade list. In fact, there are 30 countries on the list. These are Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

In suitably restrained terms, US Trade Representative Susan C Schwab commented:

"Innovation is the lifeblood of a dynamic economy here in the United States, and around the world. We must defend ideas, inventions and creativity from rip off artists and thieves…"

The IPKat will limit himself to observing let he who is without sin cast the first stone.