The US has kept Taiwan off an intellectual property rights (IPR) watch list for the ninth year in a row, in recognition of the nation’s efforts to protect IPR, the Bureau of Foreign Trade said on Saturday.
The annual Special 301 report, released on Friday by the Office of the US Trade Representative, reviewed more than 100 nations and identified trade barriers to US companies and products due to intellectual property law, such as copyright, patents and trademarks.
Taiwan was placed on the watch list in 2004, but was removed in 2009 and has not been listed since.
TRADE SECRETS
Taiwan has continued to enforce protection of trade and business secrets, the office said in its report.
However, it said that it hopes Taiwan would step up protection of trade secrets and push for government agencies’ use of authorized software, pharmaceutical innovation and market access.
The report also said the US would continue to push for IPR protection under the framework of the WTO.
The bureau said that Taiwan has been working to amend the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (藥事法), the Copyright Act (著作權法) and the Trademark Act (商標法), and looks forward to continued communication with the US through the bilateral Trade Investment Framework Agreement, a mechanism for dialogue on trade between the two sides.
CHINA ON PRIORITY LIST
Meanwhile, China remained on the office’s “priority watch list” for trade secret theft, rampant online piracy and counterfeiting, with high numbers of physical pirated and counterfeited products exported around the globe.
In addition to China, 10 other nations, including India, Indonesia, Thailand and Russia, were put on the priority watch list, while 23 nations, including Vietnam, Switzerland, Canada and Mexico, were put on the watch list, the report said.
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