Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual property rights (IPR) traditionally have been matters of national concern. Individual nation states have developed IPR regimes reflecting their domestic needs and priorities. Over time, intellectual property protection and enforcement have come to the forefront as a key international trade issue for the United States, figuring prominently in the multilateral trade policy arena and in regional and bilateral U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs). This book reflects the Administration's resolve to encourage and maintain adequate and effective IPR protection and enforcement world-wide. It identifies a wide range of concerns, including troubling "indigenous innovation" policies that may unfairly disadvantage U.S. rights holders in China, the continuing challenges of copyright piracy over the Internet in countries such as Canada, Italy, and Russia, and other ongoing, systemic IPR enforcement issues presented in many trading partners around the world.