USTR released its 2022 Special 301 Report

By BKM | Berkemeyer

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released its 2022 Special 301 Report on the adequacy and effectiveness of U.S. trading partners’ protection and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights.

Paraguay remains on the Watch List in 2022, committed to take specific steps to improve its IP protection and enforcement environment, with the United States looking forward to continuing to work with Paraguay to address outstanding IP issues through bilateral engagement, including through an IP work plan.

In the report, the USTR urges Paraguay to ensure transparency and procedural fairness in the protection of geographical indications (GIs) and to ensure that the grant of GI protection does not deprive interested parties of the ability to use common names, particularly as Paraguay proceeds with the European Union-Mercosur Trade Agreement. The United States also urged Paraguay to make progress on its commitments to strengthen IP protection and enforcement.

“Intellectual property-intensive industries support more than 60 million jobs – from the independent inventor just starting out to the documentary filmmaker studying critical social issues.  We need robust protection and enforcement in foreign countries to protect these individuals, their livelihoods, and ensure they can fairly compete in the global marketplaces,” Ambassador Katherine Tai said.