STOPfakes News

IPEC Releases 2011 Report on IP Enforcement

March 30, 2012

Victoria Espinel, the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, released the second annual report on Intellectual Property Enforcement.  The report outlines progress made on implementing the Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property, including progress on voluntary private sector actions, legislative reform, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, increased law enforcement action, and the Administration's focus on China.  View the full report.

New and Improved STOPfakes.gov Website Unveiled

March 13, 2012

STOPfakes.gov has always provided access to quality resources designed to assist you protect and enforce your intellectual property rights at home and abroad.  Now, the newly redesigned STOPfakes.gov provides continued access to these same tools, but with improved usability and a library of new useful business tools and consumer resources. 

Some of the new features on STOPfakes.gov include:

  1. Quick and simple tool to identify and contact the right U.S. Government agency to help you.
  2. A country-specific IPR resource library.
  3. Easy access to an organized list of private sector resources.
  4. Targeted consumer tools to avoid counterfeit and pirated products.

View press release.

ICE, CBP, USPIS, and Other Law Enforcement Agencies Seize Over $6.4 Million in Counterfeit Goods

As of Thursday, February 2, 2012 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seized over $6.4 million dollars of counterfeit merchandise and clothing that illegally represented the NFL and other sports leagues.  This operation, called Operation Fake Sweep, targeted nationwide stores, flea markets, street vendors, and imports into the U.S.  Additionally, special agents seized 307 websites, similar to the shutdown and seizure of Megaupload several weeks ago, as part of the 10th phase of Operation in Our sites.  ICE Director Morton stated, “Our message is simple: abiding by intellectual property rights laws is not optional; it’s the law.”

CBP, ICE Release Report on 2011 Counterfeit Seizures

Theft of American intellectual property is a serious crime, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced today that their vigorous, ongoing efforts to protect America from the trade in counterfeit and pirated goods during fiscal year 2011 resulted in 24,792 seizures, a 24 percent increase over 2010.  Read the 2011 Seizure Report here or an abbreviated fact sheet here.

US-China Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot To Launch on December 1, 2011

Deputy Under Secretary for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Teresa Stanek Rea and China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) Deputy Commissioner Yang Tiejun, signed a Joint Statement of Intent on November 8, 2011, to launch two new Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot programs on December 1, 2011.These landmark patent worksharing initiatives represent a major achievement in the growing bilateral cooperation between the two patent offices. These pilot programs will apply to qualifying patent applications filed under both the Paris Convention (“Paris Route”) and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

"This PPH agreement marks a shining success of the outstanding cooperation by both offices to build on synergies to improve the global patent system,” said Under Secretary Kappos. “The agreement comes at a very opportune time as China and the United States together make up a significant global market share for patent stakeholders. PPH will promote high quality patents and expedite processing of patent applications in both offices by avoiding duplicative work and will provide greater costs savings to patent applicants. It will help spur greater innovation and generate greater economic growth and job creation in both countries.” (Press Release)

The National IPR Center Releases 2011 IP Threat Report

The National IPR Center recently released its 2011 report titled Intellectual Property Rights Violations: A Report on Threats to United States Interests at Home and Abroad.  This comprehensive study details various threats to United States Intellectual Property from criminal violations, and is intended to serve as a baseline assessment of the current IPR crime problem. Designed to provide valuable insight for law enforcement, industry, and public partners, the report is the culmination of a year-long effort to analyze both Government and open source information, and document the input from over 100 domestic and international IPR experts in both industry and government. 

Key topics covered include:

  1. production and distribution methodologies
  2. the magnitude of the threat 
  3. a look at the primary offenders and their motivations
  4. specific geographic locations of interest 

Click here for full report

 

Stakeholders Invited to Join Roundtable on Trademark Protection in China

On September 30, 2011, USPTO will host a roundtable discussion on trademark protection in China. Participants will include 15 senior officials from China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the China Trademark Office and the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board. The program will offer U.S. right holders and practitioners an opportunity to learn more about the trademark protection system in China. The program will include a discussion of common mistakes made by applicants and helpful tips for registering marks in China. There will also be an open Q&A session for attendees to ask questions of the panel. The roundtable will run from 9am to 12pm on September 30, 2011, at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia (Madison Building – click here for directions). To sign up, please click here.

The Colombia IPR Toolkit is Now Available

The U.S. Commercial Service office of the U.S. Embassy in Bogota has launched an online Intellectual Property Rights Toolkit for Colombia. This toolkit provides information on how to obtain and protect intellectual property in Colombia, which serves as a resource for businesses looking to protect their intellectual property. You can find the toolkit here.

U.S.-EU IPR Working Group to Meet with Stakeholders

The U.S.-EU IPR Working Group will be holding a meeting with stakeholders in Washington, DC, on July 14, 2011. The event will be held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce from 10:00 am -1:15 pm. Established in 2005, the U.S.-EU IPR Working Group coordinates transatlantic activities in three main areas under the U.S.-EU IPR Action Strategy: engagement on IPR issues in third countries, customs cooperation, and public-private partnerships. Anyone wishing to attend the event should register here.

IPEC Victoria Espinel Presents Keynote Speech at World Copyright Summit

On June 8, 2011, U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Victoria Espinel spoke to an international audience of government officials and industry leaders at the World Copyright Summit, held in Brussels, Belgium. Among other important messages, she stressed the need for cooperation among foreign governments and the private sector to stop criminals who attempt to evade intellectual property laws by operating overseas. Details about Ms. Espinel’s other meetings during her recent trip to Europe are discussed in a White House blog entry, located here.

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