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- Expanded International Cooperation: USTR, in coordination with other agencies, looks forward to continuing engagement with trading partners in bilateral, regional, and multilateral fora to improve the global IPR environment. In addition to the work described above, the United States anticipates engaging with its trading partners in trade-related initiatives such as the U.S.-EU Summit, and in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and other multilateral and regional fora. As an example of an outcome of such engagement, in November 2011, APEC Ministers endorsed the APEC Effective Practices for Addressing Unauthorized Camcording, which will assist APEC economies to implement public awareness efforts, engage in cooperation with the private sector on capacity building, and adopt effective legal frameworks to address the challenges of unauthorized camcording in cinemas.
Best IPR Practices by Trading Partners
USTR is highlighting certain best practices by trading partners in the area of IPR protection and enforcement:
- In the 2011 Special 301 Report, USTR invited trading partners appearing on the Special 301 Priority Watch List or Watch List to work with the United States to develop mutually agreed-upon action plans, designed to lead to that trading partner's removal from the relevant list. Based on that initiative, USTR is working with several trading partners to develop action plans that would be designed to resolve the issues discussed in the Special 301 Report. USTR looks forward to continuing to work with these trading partners to finalize and implement these action plans.
- Stakeholders report that where foreign governments are open and transparent in bringing about legislative or regulatory change, and where such governments ensure that there is open dialogue between government officials and affected parties, it is easier for those stakeholders to comply with legislative or regulatory changes. For example, the United States commends the Czech Republic's continued efforts to inform stakeholders, as well as the United States Government, about recent developments in the protection and enforcement of IPR.
- Cooperation between different government agencies is another example of a best practice. For example, the United States notes positive reports regarding Russia's efforts to combat counterfeit medicines through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health and the Federal Service for Intellectual Property.
- Stakeholders have commended Hong Kong Customs officials for their effective enforcement against IPR infringement in marketplaces. Enforcement officials took a wide ranging set of actions that led to significant advances in limiting the availability of pirated and counterfeit products in Hong Kong marketplaces.
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