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United States Trade Representative (USTR) Carla A. Hills today identified Taiwan, India and Thailand under the special 301 provisions of the Trade Act of 1974. Special 301 calls for the identification of trading partners that deny adequate and effective protection for U.S. intellectual property, such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights or that deny market access for persons relying on intellectual property protection.

Under special 301, Taiwan was added this year to the trading partners identified as priority foreign countries. In addition, India and Thailand remain identified as priority foreign countries.

"Improved protection for intellectual property is one of the Bush Administration's top trade priorities," Hills said. "We are firmly committed to achieving satisfactory results in these countries and we are prepared to take every step that will move us towards that goal."

Hills today also reported on actions taken pursuant to the Title VII provisions of the 1988 Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act, which calls for the identification of countries that discriminate against U.S. firms in their government procurement practices. Under Title VII, Norway and the European Community (EC) remain identified for their discrimination against U.S. firms in government procurement practices. (See page three.)

USTR noted the following concerns about Special 301 priority watch countries:

 Taiwan is a center for copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting of U.S. products. Improved intellectual property laws have been under consideration for some time in Taiwan, but prompt enactment is key to improved protection. 