Intellectual Property

Background

Intellectual property protection is one of the central public policy pillars for the rapidly changing knowledge-based 21st century economy. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) provide an increasingly critical legal and policy toolkit for spurring innovation, stimulating the investments needed to develop and market new innovations, and disseminating technology and knowledge in socially beneficial ways.

Objective

Promote the improvement of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement worldwide; provide a forum for achieving a U.S. business consensus on key international policy objectives in intellectual property protection.

Current Priorities

· Contribute a rightsholder's perspective to the work of the OECD Counterfeiting Study.

· Monitor and contribute to the work of international organizations engaged in IP issues so as to ensure that IP protection remains robust globally (i.e. WHO, OECD, CBD, WIPO, etc.).

· Support the anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy activities of the ICC Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP).

Staff Contacts

Charlene B. Flick, Esq.

Director, Intellectual Property and Competition

(212) 703-5097 or cflick@uscib.org

Alexandra Garcia

Program Assistant

(212) 703-5095 or agarcia@uscib.org

· Engage the US Government on the development of international enforcement initiatives such as the recent Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

Recent Accomplishments

· Contributed to Industry Statement on New Zealand Plain Packaging Legislation

· Contributed to ICC comments on China’s revision of its trademark law, as part of its continuing commitment to participate in China's intellectual property law reform.

· Supported plans for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), a new international agreement to coordinate enforcement efforts to curtail counterfeit goods.

· Commented, through ICC, on the Third Amendment of China’s Patent Law.

· Welcomed the release and supported dissemination of the OECD Counterfeiting Study, which include new data on the scope of international trade in fake goods, and concludes that the magnitude and effects of the problem are “of such significance that they compel strong and sustained action” from governments, business and consumers.”

· Filed comments with USTR in furtherance of the Chinese Provincial Review, offering US industry perspective on specific intellectual property protection challenges and piracy/counterfeiting activities within the various regions of China.