Text 1126, 96 rader
Skriven 2005-06-20 23:54:54 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0506206) for Mon, 2005 Jun 20
====================================================
===========================================================================
U.S.-EU Working Together to Fight Against Global Piracy and Counterfeiting
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
June 20, 2005

U.S.-EU Working Together to Fight Against Global Piracy and Counterfeiting



Growing global piracy and counterfeiting threatens the competitiveness of
innovative industries, the livelihoods of creative artists and workers, and
the health and safety of consumers in the European Union, the United States
and beyond. Driven by new technologies that make it easy to rapidly produce
infringing goods in commercial quantities and by fraudulent organizations,
including organized criminal syndicates, that use the Internet and global
trading lanes to distribute and sell those goods worldwide, this illicit
activity substantially deprives rights holders of a legitimate income from
their ideas, designs, brands and inventions. According to the World Customs
Organization (WCO), pirated and counterfeit goods account for roughly seven
to nine percent of global trade, and customs seizures of intellectual
property infringing goods at EU external frontiers and U.S. borders have
increased dramatically in recent years, with a 1000% increase in
intercepted counterfeit goods by EU Customs between 1998 and 2004. The last
five years saw a tripling of seizures of counterfeit goods by U.S. Customs.

We are committed to working effectively to combat piracy and counterfeiting
at home and abroad and recently have taken heightened measures to
strengthen our respective IP enforcement efforts. In April 2004, the EU
adopted a directive aimed at harmonizing enforcement of intellectual
property rights, while in July 2004 a new Customs Regulation came into
force which aims at improving mechanisms for customs action against
counterfeit and pirated goods. In October 2004, the United States announced
a Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP!) designed to reduce trade in
pirated and counterfeit goods, dismantle criminal networks that traffic in
fakes, and help small businesses secure and enforce their intellectual
property rights. In November 2004, the European Commission adopted a
strategy for enforcement of intellectual property rights in third
countries. This strategy set out guidelines for the European Commission's
actions towards a reduction of the level of intellectual property
violations in third countries, using political dialogue and technical
assistance.

To further the efforts noted previously and to strengthen cooperation on
intellectual property issues to promote innovation and protect health and
safety, the U.S. and the EU will take the following actions:
  þ Promote Strong and Effective Enforcement Internally and at our Borders.
      þ Promote and uphold laws, regulations and/or procedures which
        provide, where appropriate, for:
          þ Customs authority to retain or suspend the release of suspected
            goods without the need for a formal complaint from a private
            party or right holder;
          þ Strong deterrence against piracy and counterfeiting;
          þ Judicial authority to seize suspected infringing goods;
          þ Disposal and destruction, where appropriate, of pirated and
            counterfeit goods and equipment and materials used to produce
            such goods; and
          þ Predictable and clear judicial proceedings and transparent
            policies and guidelines related to intellectual property
            enforcement; and
      þ Publish information related to our respective intellectual property
        enforcement actions, including relevant statistical information.
  þ Strengthen Cooperation to Reduce Global Piracy and Counterfeiting.
      þ Include effective intellectual property rights protection and
        enforcement rules in our regional and bilateral agreements;
      þ Send a clear and consistent message to priority countries on the
        importance of effectively enforcing global intellectual property
        rules, and work together with those countries to secure commitments
        and implement actions to reduce piracy and counterfeiting levels,
        including through bilateral consultations;
      þ Make intellectual property rights enforcement a key focus of our
        trade capacity building technical assistance to third countries,
        and improve coordination of our respective efforts in this area
        with a view to avoiding duplication, and to exchanging best
        practices and lessons learned; and
      þ Establish informal mechanisms for IPR, customs, and law enforcement
        experts to exchange views on best practices in addressing piracy
        and counterfeit problems in third countries.
  þ Foster Public-Private Partnerships to Protect Intellectual Property.
      þ Work with our respective private sectors to exchange information on
        the risks of global piracy and counterfeiting and best practices to
        secure and enforce their rights at home and abroad;
      þ Encourage our private sectors to take an active part in the fight
        against global piracy and counterfeiting and assist competent
        enforcement authorities as well as the WTO and WIPO in promoting
        the observation of international commitments in the field of
        intellectual property; and
      þ Promote the establishment and support the efforts of networks,
        associations and organizations of intellectual property rights
        holders in third countries.
===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/06/20050620-6.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)