On May 1, 2013, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued a press release announcing that it has release its annual "Special 301" report on the adequacy and effectiveness of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in trading partners around the world.
In the release, USTR explains that "the “Special 301” Report is an annual review of the global state of IPR protection, enforcement, and market access, which USTR conducts pursuant to Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974 .. USTR reviewed 95 trading partners for this year’s Special 301 Report, and placed 41 countries on the Priority Foreign Country, Priority Watch List, or Watch List."
The signification actions in the 2013 report include:
- Ukraine was designated as a Priority Foreign Country (PFC)
- Barbados, Bulgaria, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago were added to the Watch List
- USTR will conduct out-of-cycle reviews on El Salvador and Spain, even though they are not listed on the Report
- Concerns were reported regarding China's misappropriation of trade secrets, along with incremental progress on some of its other IPR challenges
- Canada was moved from the Special 301 Priority Watch List to the Watch List
- Brunei Darussalam and Norway were removed from the Special 301 Watch list.
The full text of the press release is available online here.
