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»Issue 3, Volume 07 www.scarbrough-intl.com » March 2007 |
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SCARBROUGH NEWS S.T.O.P. (Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy) - Protect your Intellectual Property S.T.O.P. is a Bush Administration organization that brings together the Department of Commerce, the Department of Homeland Security, the Food an Drug Administration, the State Department, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Announced in October of 2004, the organization created a five-point plan to confront issues of piracy and counterfeiting. 1. Empower American innovators to better protect their rights at home and abroad 2. Increase efforts to seize counterfeit goods at our borders 3. Pursue criminal enterprises involved in piracy and counterfeiting 4. Work closely and creatively with U.S. industry 5. Aggressively engage our trading partners to join our efforts In a report published in early March 2007, the organization highlights the major accomplishments and initiatives of the program since inception.
Some of the organizations successes include the seizure of 14,675 shipments in FY 2006 worth more than 155 million dollars and the publication of Intellectual Property Tool Kits for some of the larger country with whom we have trade partnerships. This report can be accessed via www.stopfakes.gov The website provides an abundance of information regarding the protection of Intellectual Property in their exporting, a concern that has been discussed within the manufacturing industry. Many small companies experience difficulty protecting their Intellectual Property abroad, including in China, as they are not aware of how to obtain and enforce rights in foreign markets. Some basic, often low-cost, steps small companies should consider include: -Working with legal counsel to develop an overall Intellectual Property protection strategy; -Developing detailed Intellectual Property language for licensing and subcontracting contracts; -Conducting due diligence of potential foreign partners (The U.S. Commercial Service can help, see www.export.gov); -Recording their U.S.-registered trademarks and copyrights with Customs and Border Protection; -Securing and registering patents, trademarks, and copyrights in key foreign markets, including defensively in countries where Intellectual Property violations are common. These considerations should help with the alignment of a companies supply chain management program and the sanity of the stakeholders. The primary entity of concern, for the stakeholders that decide to invest in global business, is exports. Exports is a large industry. The growth of U.S. exports is currently increasing by over one billion dollars per month. The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced in March that total January exports of $126.7 billion and imports of $185.8 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $59.1 billion, compared with $61.5 billion in December, revised. January exports were $1.4 billion more than December exports of $125.3 billion. January imports were $1.0 billion less than December imports of $186.7 billion. With the numbers rising quickly, it is clear that more companies recognize the value of exporting American goods to international markets. Companies concerned with protecting intellectual property in their exporting have probably asked the following questions, How do i protect my intellectual Property Abroad? Ho can i prevent Intellectual property theft abroad? How do i register my trademark, patent, or copyright abroad? A foreign company is using my trademark, patent or copyright in a foreign country. How can i check the credentials of a potential foreign business partner? How can i find information on intellectual property in, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Korea, and Mexico? Who in the U.S. Government can help me in obtaining and protecting my intellectual property abroad? Scarbrough recommends that you source as much information as possible to protect the efforts of your company and to maximize the potential of growth into the global market. If you have any questions regarding exporting and the protection of your intellectual property please contact Bret Holder, Corporate Compliance Officer, at 816-584-2450. -- Scott Woods, Marketing |
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