Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)

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On April 25, 2019, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued its 2019 “Special 301 Report” on inadequate protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights by the United States’ trading partners.  USTR has issued a Special 301 Report each year since 1989 pursuant to section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974.  The Special 301 Report reflects the culmination of a public comment and hearing process allowing all interested parties – domestic businesses and industries, civil society groups, trade associations, think tanks, and other stakeholders – to identify foreign countries and expose the laws, policies, and practices that fail to provide adequate and effective IP protection and enforcement for U.S. inventors, creators, brands, manufacturers, and service providers.  The Special 301 Report and process provides an important opportunity for IP-intensive U.S. industries to highlight adverse cross-border IP rights issues and help shape the Administration’s priorities as it engages with trading partners on IP and related market access issues.

Countries that are identified as falling short with respect to protection, enforcement, and market access for IP-intensive industries are listed in the Special 301 Report in one of three ways.  Countries with the most egregious acts, policies, or practices that have the greatest adverse impact on U.S. companies and products are listed Priority Foreign Countries (“PFC”).  PFCs are subject to investigation and potential trade sanctions such as tariffs, quotas, or other measures.  A country may not be listed as a PFC under the law if it is entering into good faith negotiations or making significant progress toward providing and enforcing IP rights.  Notably, USTR may designate a country as a PFC even if …
Continue Reading USTR Releases Annual Special 301 Intellectual Property Report

Last week, a WTO dispute settlement panel ruled that Australia’s plain packaging rules for tobacco products do not violate WTO rules.  In April 2012, Honduras requested consultations with Australia at the WTO over Australia’s 2011 law banning logos, trademarks, and other distinctive packaging for tobacco products in favor of uniform-color packages with health-related warnings and images across the front of the packages and brand names printed in small, standardized fonts.  Honduras challenged the law under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement, and the national treatment provision of GATT 1994.  Similar challenges later brought by the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Indonesia to Australia’s plain packaging law were consolidated with Honduras’s dispute and ruled upon at the same time.  The WTO dispute settlement panel was composed in May 2014.

In its report, issued on June 28, 2018, the WTO panel concluded that Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Indonesia did not demonstrate that Australia’s plain packaging law and related regulations were inconsistent with the various WTO agreement provisions cited.  Specifically, the plain packaging measures were not shown to be more restrictive than necessary to achieve a legitimate regulatory objective; to impede the registration, use, or enforcement of trademarks; to mislead with respect to or diminish geographical indications; or to devalue the Cuban Government Warranty Seal otherwise provided on Cuban-origin tobacco products.
Continue Reading WTO Declines to Find Australia’s Tobacco Product Packaging Restrictions Inconsistent with Trade Rules