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 Free Trade Agreements and Implementation

The United States is committed to promoting strong intellectual property rights through a variety of mechanisms, including the negotiation of FTAs, which contain intellectual property chapters that establish strong protections for copyrights, patents, and trademarks, as well as rules for enforcement.

The United States is pleased to have worked together with many countries to strengthen IPR protection and enforcement through bilateral and multilateral FTAs. Agreements concluded in recent years include the Republic of Korea FTA (KORUS FTA), Panama Trade Promotion Agreement, Bahrain FTA, Oman FTA, the Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, the Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, and the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) which covers Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Each of these FTAs has resulted in commitments to strengthen IPR protection and enforcement in those countries. In regions such as the Middle East and Asia, the United States has used an increasing number of trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) negotiations to enhance intellectual property protection and enforcement.

Following the conclusion of these agreements, the United States continues to work closely with our trading partners to ensure proper implementation of FTA obligations under domestic law and strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Reviews

As another mechanism for promoting strong intellectual property regimes around the world, USTR reviews IPR practices in connection with the implementation of trade preference programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). USTR will continue to review IPR practices in Russia, Lebanon, and Uzbekistan under ongoing GSP reviews.

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)

On October 23, 2007, U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab announced that the United States will seek to negotiate an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). ACTA will bring together countries that recognize the critical importance of strong IPR enforcement for a prosperous economy. The ACTA is envisioned as a leadership effort among countries that will raise the international standard for IPR enforcement to address today's challenges of counterfeiting and piracy. ACTA will build upon the Administration's prior bilateral and regional cooperation successes.

'''STOP! Initiative'''

USTR is actively engaged in implementing the Administration's Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP!) initiative. Announced in October 2004, STOP! brings together all the major players – the federal government, private sector, and trading partners – to take concerted action to crack down on piracy and counterfeiting. The initiative is part of an effort to enhance