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- Taiwan – In January 2013, Taiwan's Government passed amendments to the Trade Secret Act to increase deterrent penalties for trade secret misappropriation, including enhanced penalties to deter cross-border theft. Taiwan also launched a two-year pilot program to help create a more stable market for medicines, including innovative medicines, in Taiwan's health care system. The United States will engage closely with Taiwan in the implementation of its legal reforms and pilot program, and with respect to other legislation on IPR protection.
- Turkey – In 2012, the Turkish National Police State Security Department, with the approval of the Minister of the Interior, established specialized enforcement offices for IP crimes in 81 cities in Turkey.
The United States will continue to work with its trading partners to further enhance IPR protection and enforcement during the coming year.
Initiatives to Strengthen IPR Protection and Enforcement Internationally
The United States has worked to promote adequate and effective protection and enforcement of IPR through a variety of mechanisms, including the following:
- Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement: The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a key initiative through which the United States seeks to advance the multifaceted U.S. trade and investment interests in the Asia-Pacific region by negotiating an ambitious, 21st-century regional trade agreement along with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam, in addition to Canada and Mexico, which joined negotiations in 2012. The United States also welcomes Japan's participation in the TPP negotiations once each of the current TPP countries successfully completes its respective domestic process for approving that participation. The TPP negotiations are being undertaken with this group of like-minded countries with the goal of creating a platform for integration across the region, including strong standards for the protection and enforcement of IPR in the 21st century.
- Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) Agreement: On February 13, 2013, the United States and the European Union announced that they will each initiate the internal procedures necessary to launch negotiations on the TTIP. On March 20, 2013, the USTR notified Congress of the President's intent to enter into negotiations for a trade agreement with the EU. The United States and the EU provide among the highest levels of IPR protection and among the most robust IPR enforcement in the world. Together, the United States and the EU have developed mechanisms, including the Transatlantic IPR Working Group, to successfully cooperate on IPR matters, including in third countries and international organizations. Through the TTIP Agreement, the United States is committed to promoting a high level of IPR protection and enforcement, and to sustaining and enhancing its work with the EU on IPR issues.
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