The Obama Administration has warned that it would not hesitate to drag those countries to the WTO dispute settlement process that fail to respect US intellectual property.
"Countries that fail to respect US intellectual property, either by failing to implement or enforce laws that adequately protect American intellectual property, or creating policies that disadvantage US right holders, put American workers and businesses at a disadvantage," said Ron Kirk, United States Trade Representative.
"Let's be clear: IP theft in overseas markets is a job killer, and it's an export killer. USTR will work with a broad range of stakeholders to vigorously pursue changes to the policies of trading partners that put us at such a disadvantage. We will use all the trade policy tools we have at our disposal," Kirk said in his address on the occasion of the World Intellectual Property Day.
Kirk said the US will work cooperatively with its trading partners, colleagues in other agencies and the private sector to identify solutions to adequately protect American intellectual property through training or other capacity building as appropriate.
"We will communicate our concerns clearly through reports, such as the Special 301 Report coming out at the end of this month, and through bilateral engagement and frank discussions with our counterparts," he said.
The top Obama Administration official said the US will negotiate agreements that commit its trading partners to protecting American intellectual property, such as the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
"When necessary, we will not hesitate to assert our rights and bring formal disputes against our trading partners through the WTO dispute settlement process," Kirk said.
Protecting American intellectual property, whether it is trademark protection for a new brand that distinguishes the high quality of an American firm's goods or services from its competitors, copyright protection for the works of creative American authors, performers, producers and publishers, or patent protection for the latest technological innovation, is critical for ensuring that American firms can compete in the global environment, he argued.
Image: Barack Obama
