U.S., China Expand IPR Enforcement Agreement
The U.S. and China agreed to expand a memorandum of understanding on customs enforcement collaboration, said ICE in a press release (here). Bruce Foucart, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center and Chen Xudong, director general of the General Administration of China Customs, signed the IPR addendum, said ICE. The original MOU, signed in 2011, established a cooperative framework for prosecutions and convictions related to customs law violations, said ICE. The agreement allows the two countries to share "seizure information like commodity descriptions; quantities; values; dates of import/export; infringed trademarks; known manufacturers and shippers; container numbers; and other available information," it said.
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The two countries will also conduct joint training operations and increase the number of visits to each country’s ports, said ICE. "Although this addendum codifies the intent to conduct joint enforcement efforts going forward," the U.S. and China previously worked together to seize counterfeit apparel and pharmaceutical shipments, it said. “Through this partnership with Chinese customs officials, we’ll be able to exchange ideas and implement best practices that could ultimately lead to the dismantling of transnational criminal organizations,” said Foucart.