U.S. Government Delegation Meets Lebanese Government Officials and Intellectual Property Rights Stakeholders

July 24, 2010

From July 22 to 24, 2010, a delegation composed of representatives from various U.S. government agencies visited Lebanon for discussions with Lebanese government officials, private sector leaders, and activists regarding intellectual property rights (IPR) in Lebanon.  Participating in the delegation were officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Justice, the U.S. Copyright Office, and the U.S. Department of State.  While in Lebanon, the delegation met with the Ministers of Economy and Trade, Finance, Justice, and Health to discuss the roles of each ministry in combating violations of intellectual property rights and cooperation between the U.S. and Lebanon in this area.  The visit was sponsored by the Middle East Partnership Initiative.

In addition, on July 23, the delegation and the U.S. Embassy organized a seminar on intellectual property rights.  The seminar featured discussions on international protection of intellectual property, enforcement of intellectual property rights, and promoting intellectual property.  In addition to the U.S. government speakers, the seminar also featured panelists from the Lebanese government, the private sector, and NGOs advocating for stronger and enforcement for intellectual property rights.  Speaking at the opening of the seminar, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michele J. Sison characterized intellectual property rights as an issue “of great importance to the global economy…. As Lebanon continues to grow its economy, intellectual property protections will become even more essential to economic well-being in the years to come. For our part, the United States is committed to helping the Lebanese government gain the expertise necessary in the IPR field….We must therefore remain vigilant that creators’ and inventors’ investments are not undermined by a failure to adequately protect or enforce intellectual property rights anywhere in the world.”