Office of the United States Trade Representative November 12, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2242) requires the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to identify countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on intellectual property protection. (The provisions of Section 182 are commonly referred to as the ``Special 301'' provisions of the Trade Act.) The USTR is required to determine which, if any, of these countries should be identified as Priority Foreign Countries. In addition, USTR has created a ``Priority Watch List'' and ``Watch List'' under Special 301 provisions. Placement of a trading partner on the Priority Watch List or Watch List indicates that particular problems exist in that country with respect to IPR protection, enforcement, or market access for persons relying on intellectual property. Countries placed on the Priority Watch List are the focus of increased bilateral attention concerning the problem areas. In the 2010 Special 301 Report (https://www.ustr.gov), USTR announced that, in order to monitor progress on specific IPR issues, Out-of-Cycle Reviews would be conducted for the Philippines and Thailand. USTR requests written submissions from the public concerning any act, policy, or practice that is relevant to the decision regarding whether the Philippines and Thailand should be identified under Section 182 of the Trade Act.