The US Chamber of Commerce on Friday called on the government to ratchet up pressure on India over intellectual property rights, in a move that could help prevent Indian companies from producing cheap generic versions of medicines still under patent protection, reports Reuters. In a submission to the Office of US Trade Representative, the Chamber of Commerce requested that India be classified as a Priority Foreign Country, a tag given to the worst offenders when it comes to protecting intellectual property and one that could trigger trade sanctions.
Other trade groups, including those representing the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries, echoed the call for a tougher stance on India.
The recommendations, which were due by Friday, were for a document known as a Special 301
Report prepared annually by the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
India is on the US government’s Priority Watch List for countries whose practices on protecting intellectual property Washington believes should be monitored closely.
In its new submission, the Global Intellectual Property Centre of the Chamber of Commerce said: ‘We highlight India as a country with particular challenges with respect to intellectual property 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,’ it said.
India received the lowest score in the trade group’s IP Index released last week, performing poorly in all six rating categories: patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and market access, enforcement, and membership and ratification of international treaties.
-With New Age input
