Feds to Bolster IP Protection at Home and Abroad
The federal government is requesting input from manufacturers and designers on how best to protect intellectual-property rights so that counterfeiters can be apprehended in the United States and overseas.
The Office of Management and Budget is taking public comments until March 24 to help shape and enforce a new strategy mandated by the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008.The objective is to:
bull; Reduce the amount of counterfeit goods both domestically and internationally
bull; Identify weaknesses and duplication of efforts to make enforcement more effective
bull; Promote information sharing between participating agencies
bull; Strengthen the capacity of other countries to protect and enforce intellectual-property rights
bull; Reduce the number of countries that fail to enforce these rights
bull; Protect intellectual-property rights in other countries by providing training and technical assistance designed to prioritize the deployment of U.S. government resources.
The government is requesting e-mailed submissions that first detail the cost of counterfeiting to U.S. industries, its effect on employment and, in the case of knockoff drugs or counterfeit food, how it affects the public’s health. The government is also interested in receiving suggestions on how to better protect intellectual-property rights. In particular, officials are trying to figure out new methods for rights holders and importers to provide information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection on distribution and supply chains, how to better protect the supply chain, determine what new technologies are out there to identify fake goods, and how to improve interagency coordination.
All submissions should be e-mailed to intellectualproperty@omb.eop.gov.—Deborah Belgum
