On January 22, 2013, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) received the National IP and Technology Transfer Policy Award for its Patents for Humanity initiative. The program, designed to encourage the use of patented technology to address humanitarian challenges, was launched in 2012 as a part of a series of Obama administration initiatives to promote game-changing innovations to solve long-standing development challenges.
“We are honored to be recognized for our Patents for Humanity initiative, which recognizes those who use patented technology to aid the less fortunate,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO David Kappos. “In an increasingly interconnected world, the ability of technology to transform lives is real and powerful. This program plays a key role in advancing President Obama’s global development agenda.”
The award was presented by the non-profit group Licensing Executives Society International during its annual Global Technology Impact Forum in Geneva, Switzerland.
According to the joint annual Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Fiscal Year 2012 Seizure Statistics Report, CBP and ICE agents seized 22,848 shipments of infringing goods and 697 websites involved in the trafficking of these goods. The MSRP of seized goods increased from $1.11 billion in FY 2011 to $1.26 billion in FY 2012, with an average seizure value of more than $10,450.
Additionally, new enforcements efforts were implemented in 2012. The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center’sOperation Chain Reaction was launched to prevent counterfeit items from entering U.S. government supply chains. To date, OperationChain Reaction has resulted in 24 arrests, 36 indictments, 26 convictions and the seizure of more than $9.83 million in counterfeit electronics, currency and vehicle parts.
“Attacking criminal activity at every point along the international supply chain, to include websites, manufacturers, shippers and shipping routes, border entry points, distribution networks and payment methods, is critical to CBP and HSI’s enforcement efforts,” said Lev Kubiak, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Center.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the October 1, 2012 launch of a new Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) partnership with the patent office of the Czech Republic, and the planned launch of two more PPH partnerships with the patent offices of the Philippines and Portugal in January 2013. The PPH system allows for expedited patent examinations in partner countries, permitting PPH applicants to obtain corresponding foreign patents more quickly and efficiently. The USPTO currently has PPH arrangements with the intellectual property offices of Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Russia, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The full USPTO Press Release can be found here, and more information about the PPH system can be found here and here.
On Wednesday, October 3, 2012, Attorney General Eric Holder and other senior Department of Justice (DOJ) officials announced more than $2.4 million in grants to thirteen jurisdictions around the United States to combat the sale and purchase of counterfeit and pirated products. The grants are a major component of the Justice Department’s commitment to work closely with a variety of federal, state, local, and international partners to more effectively fight intellectual property crime, provide direct support to critical law enforcement allies, and strengthen law enforcement’s ability to protect American innovation.
The jurisdictions receiving the grants are: Austin, Texas; Baltimore County, Maryland; Central Point, Oregon; Cook County, Illinois; Orlando, Florida; Riverside County, California; Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office; New York County District Attorney’s Office; Sacramento County, California; San Antonio, Texas; the California Department of Justice; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; and the Virginia State Police. The full DOJ Press Release can be found here, and more information about other U.S. Government initiatives to combat intellectual property theft can be found here.
In its recent coverage of a large-scale seizure of counterfeit goods by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport, ABC World News cited STOPfakes.gov as its source for key information on the effects of counterfeiting and piracy on the U.S. economy. To learn more about the seizure and watch the segment, visit ABC’s website here.
STOPfakes.gov is bringing U.S. government tools and assistance "offline" to small and medium sized businesses across America. Trade experts and attorneys from the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA) and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) are traveling across the country to host one-day seminars on how companies and individuals can protect and enforce intellectual property to get the most out of exporting abroad. The STOPfakes.gov Road Show is traveling to ten U.S. cities to answer your questions about commercializing your creations and innovations. This seminar includes strategies for protecting and enforcing a company’s intellectual property when exporting to foreign markets and advice for avoiding common pitfalls. Participants will have the chance to ask export questions involving patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights and domain names. At the conclusion of each Road Show, participants can take advantage of one-on-one consultations with intellectual property experts to get targeted advice. Small and medium-sized businesses in particular will benefit from this unique opportunity. Upcoming Road Show cities and dates are listed below. Click on the city name below for registration information. Questions can be directed to the contact listed.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 2012 Fall Roadshow Series will kick off Monday, September 10th, in Minneapolis and conclude on Friday, September 28th, in New York City. The free, one-day events will inform the public about new final rules implementing provisions of the America Invents Act (AIA) that become effective on September 16, 2012.
The roadshows are great opportunities to learn about the final rules for inventor’s oath/declaration, pre-issuance submissions, citation of patent owner statements, supplemental examination, inter partes review, post grant review, and covered business method review, as well as proposed rules for fees and the first-inventor-to-file provision. Each roadshow will explain the final and proposed rules and answer audience questions. We hope to see you there!
The roadshows will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the following locations:
September 10: Minneapolis (Hennepin County Library) September 12: Alexandria (USPTO campus) September 14: Los Angeles (Los Angeles Public Library) September 17: Denver (Denver Public Library) September 20: Detroit (Detroit Public Library) September 24: Atlanta (Georgia Institute of Technology Library) September 26: Houston (Rice University Fondren Library) September 28: New York City (New York Public Library)
The roadshows are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required, though seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please visit the USPTO's website.
The Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP) will launch with an event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, July 23 at 5:00 p.m. CSIP will officially announce its partnership between multiple U.S. government agencies and several worldwide internet and e-commerce organizations. The goal of this collaborative effort is an extensive campaign to help educate consumers about the dangers of unsafe counterfeit or contaminated prescription drugs. The campaign includes a website with information and tools for consumers and health care professionals, an awareness video, a social media presence, and educational search engine adds.
The Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies is a nonprofit organization chartered in 2011 to help Internet industry leaders find a way to address the growing problem of consumer access to illegitimate pharmaceutical products on the Internet. The entities selling these “medicines” typically advertise and present themselves as pharmacies, which inspires consumer trust. The average consumer has no way to know whether the product he or she is purchasing is counterfeit or otherwise unsafe, and is therefore not only vulnerable to the dangers associated with these substances, but also often has little recourse.
The Act enhances penalties under Title 18 for trafficking in counterfeit drugs and directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend, if appropriate, its guidelines and policy statements related to offenses that involve counterfeit drugs. It allows the FDA to require that companies notify the Agency if their drug has been counterfeited or stolen. In addition, the Act allows the FDA to destroy, without the opportunity to export, counterfeit drugs distributed in small packages (valued at $2,500 or less).
The Transatlantic IPR Working Group will meet with stakeholders on July 10, 2012 in Brussels. The event is being organized in cooperation with the Trans Atlantic Business Dialogue (TABD). To view the agenda, click here. To register for this event please send an email to Emanuel Adam at eadam@tabd.com. The last meeting of the Working Group was in Washington, DC, in July 2011.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the October 1, 2012 launch of a new Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) partnership with the patent office of the Czech Republic, and the planned launch of two more PPH partnerships with the patent offices of the Philippines and Portugal in January 2013. The PPH system allows for expedited patent examinations in partner countries, permitting PPH applicants to obtain corresponding foreign patents more quickly and efficiently. The USPTO currently has PPH arrangements with the intellectual property offices of Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Russia, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The full USPTO Press Release can be found 
On Wednesday, October 3, 2012, Attorney General Eric Holder and other senior Department of Justice (DOJ) officials announced more than $2.4 million in grants to thirteen jurisdictions around the United States to combat the sale and purchase of counterfeit and pirated products. The grants are a major component of the Justice Department’s commitment to work closely with a variety of federal, state, local, and international partners to more effectively fight intellectual property crime, provide direct support to critical law enforcement allies, and strengthen law enforcement’s ability to protect American innovation. 
The Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP) will launch with an event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, July 23 at 5:00 p.m. CSIP will officially announce its partnership between multiple U.S. government agencies and several worldwide internet and e-commerce organizations. The goal of this collaborative effort is an extensive campaign to help educate consumers about the dangers of unsafe counterfeit or contaminated prescription drugs. The campaign includes a