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10 February 2014
The US Chamber of Commerce asked the Obama Administration to designate India as a Priority Foreign Country, the worst classification given to foreign countries that "deny adequate and effective" protection of intellectual property rights.
In its 2014 Special 301 Submission to the Office of US Trade Representative (USTR), the Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) of the Chamber of Commerce made the request, specifically highlights India as a country with particular challenges with respect to IP protections.
“Because India has not shown a record of engagement on these issues and the environment has deteriorated significantly since last year, we are now recommending that India be designated a Priority Foreign Country,” said in the submission by the GIPC.
"We hope that designating India as a Priority Foreign Country will generate a much-needed dialogue and engagement between the US and Indian governments to strengthen the IP environment in India," Mark Elliot, executive vice president of the GIPC, told PTI.
Other trade groups, including those representing the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries, echoed the call for a tougher stance on India, Reuters reported.
In the latest GIPC International IP Index, it reported that India continues to have the weakest IP environment of all countries included in the Index. The continued use of compulsory licenses, patent revocations, and weak legislative and enforcement mechanisms raise serious concerns about India’s commitment to promote innovation and protect creators, written in the summary of the index.
