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India’s Weak IPR Regime Threatens Music, Movies, Medicines and More

As federal agencies consider the placement of countries in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s 2015 Special 301 Report, they must keep India on the Priority Watch List.

Scheduled for publication at the end of April, the Special 301 report will “identify countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on intellectual property protection.” The report lists countries with particularly weak IPR regimes on a special Priority Watch List.

As representatives from the Alliance for Fair Trade with India (AFTI), its member associations and others explained to federal officials at a Special 301 public hearing on February 24, India’s continued refusal to adopt internationally accepted IPR standards is harming creators and producers of a wide array of products – from music and movies to software and innovative medicines. Some key examples from their testimony are illustrated below.

To continue to push for real results, federal agencies should also announce an out-of-cycle review (OCR) of India’s IPR regime later this year. Given the damaging impact India’s IPR problems are having on creators and innovators in the United States, India and many other countries, an OCR will provide a valuable opportunity to take stock of progress and identify priorities moving forward.