UNIT - 3

Intellectual Property Rights

Basics Concepts of Intellectual Property Rights

Property means the association between the owner of the property and each member of the
society in relation to a tangible or intangible possession. Law gives a package of privileges to the
owner of the property. This bundle of rights includes the right to possess the thing which he/she
owns, the right to use and enjoy the thing owned and the right to consume, destroy or alienate the
thing.
Intellectual property is the nation’s new wealth. Property jurisprudence’s main focus has shifted
from material to intangible. Intellectual property has arisen as the nation’s new wealth.
Intellectual property rights are people’s rights for their minds’ creations. Typically, they grant
the author an exclusive privilege over a certain period to use his / her work.
According to the definition of ‘Intellectual Property’ by the WIPO (World Intellectual Property
Organization), “Intellectual property means the legal rights which result from intellectual
activity in the industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields.”

Characteristics of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Laws

1. Intangible Property: Intellectual property does not cover the physical object, which was
made, but it preserves the conceptual development behind the physical object.
2. Creation of Statute: In fact, intellectual property is derived from common law, and it is
covered under specific laws.
3. Bundle of Legal Rights: Law recognizes and preserves separate and independent rights.
There are two main reasons why countries have intellectual property laws. One is to give
legislative recognition to the creators’ moral and economic rights in their works and to the
public’s rights in accessing them. The second is to promote creativity and the dissemination and
use of the results as a deliberate act of government policy and to promote fair trade that would
contribute to economic and social growth.
The purpose of intellectual property law is to protect creators and other producers of intellectual
goods and services by granting them certain time-limited rights to control the use of such goods
and services. Such privileges do not apply to the physical object in which the creation can be
manifested, but to the creation of the mind as such. Traditionally, intellectual property is divided
into “industrial property” and “copyright” branches.
Inventions and industrial designs are protected by the word “industrial property.” Inventions are
simply described as new solutions to technical problems, and aesthetic innovations are designed
to decide the appearance of industrial products. The industrial property also includes trademarks,
service marks, trade names and designations, including source and appellation of origin signs,
and protection from unfair competition.
 The Concept of Intellectual Property

Intellectual property, very broadly, means the legal property which results from intellectual
activity in the industrial, scientific and artistic fields. Countries have laws to protect intellectual
property for two main reasons. One is to give statutory expression to the moral and economic
rights of creators in their creations and such rights of the public in access to those creations. The
second is to promote, as a deliberate act of government policy, creativity and the dissemination
and application of its results and to encourage fair trading which would contribute to economic
and social development.
Generally speaking, IP law aims at safeguarding creators and other producers of intellectual
goods and services by granting them certain time- limited rights to control the use made of those
productions. These rights do not apply to the physical object in which the creation may be
embodied but instead to the intellectual creation as such. IP is traditionally divided into two
branches: “industrial property and copyright”. The convention establishing the World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO), concluded in Stockholm on July 14, 1967 (Art. 2(viii) provides
that “intellectual property shall include rights relating to:
1) literary, artistic and scientific works:
2) performances of performing artists, phonograms and broadcasts;
3) inventions in all fields of human behaviour;
4) scientific discoveries;
5) industrial designs;
6) trademarks, service marks, and commercial names and designations;
7) protection against unfair competition and all other rights resulting from intellectual activity
in industrial scientific, literary or artistic fields”.
The areas mentioned under (1) belong to the copyright branch of intellectual property. The areas
mentioned in (2) are usually called “neighboring rights”, that is, rights neighboring on copyright.
The areas mentioned under 3, 5 and 6 constitute the industrial property branch of IP. The areas
mentioned may also be considered as belonging to that branch.
The expression industrial property covers inventions and industrial designs. Simply stated,
inventions are new solutions to technical problems, and industrial designs are aesthetic creations
determining the appearance of industrial products. In addition, industrial property includes
trademarks, service marks, commercial names and designations, including indications of source
and appellations of origin, and protection against unfair competition. Hence the aspect of
intellectual creations -although existent -is less prominent, but what counts here is that the object
of industrial property typically consists of signs transmitting information to consumers, in
particular, as regards products and services offered on the market, and that the protection is
directed against unauthorized use of such signs which is likely to mislead consumers and
misleading practices in general.
Scientific discoveries are not the same as inventions. The general treaty on the international
recording of scientific discoveries /1978/ defines a scientific discovery as ‘the recognition of
phenomena, properties or laws of the material universe not hitherto recognized and capable of
verification. “(Art. 1(1)(i)). Inventions are new solutions to specific technical problems. Such
solutions must, naturally rely on the properties or laws of the materials universe /otherwise they
could not be materially or ‘technically’ applied/, but those properties or laws need not be
properties or laws’ not hitherto recognized’. An invention puts to new use, to new technical use,
the said properties or laws, whether they are recognized (“discovered”) simultaneously with
making the invention or whether they were already recognized (“discovered”) before and
independently from the invention.
Industrial and cultural development may be favored by stimulating creative activity and
facilitating the transfer of technology and the dissemination of literary and artistic works. In the
Ethiopian legal system too the protection of intellectual property rights is afforded at
constitutional level. The FDRE Constitution recognizes that every Ethiopian citizen has the right
to ownership of private property with certain restrictions. Article 40(2) defines private property
as any tangible or intangible product which has value and is produced by the labor, creativity,
enterprise or capital of an individual citizen, associations which enjoy juridical personality under
the law. Thus, the constitution declares protection for every property whether it is tangible or
intangible. That means protection is afforded equally for intellectual property rights as any other
property since they are intangible products.
It is difficult to determine what types of ownership we should allow for non corporeal,
intellectual objects, such as writings, inventions and secret business information. There are
intellectual properties which are not products of the mind. For instance, all trademarks are not
products of the mind. Trademarks creation does not necessarily require intellectual activity. The
same holds true for geographic indication. They don’t require the work of the mind like patent
and copyright.
IP is a bundle of legal rights resulting from intellectual creativity in industrial, scientific, artistic
and literary fields. This definition is from the point of view of rights. IP is legal protection
accorded to works of the mind in distinction from manual work (result of physical labour). It is a
legal protection accorded to incorporeal ownership.
Regarding protection of IP rights, there were historical, philosophical and epistemological
problems. Historically, reservation exists as to the protection of such rights as they don’t exhibit
essential characteristics of property, i.e. material existence. They consider corporeal chattels only
as propriety. For them property should be subject to appropriation/occupancy/.

International Treaties Related To Intellectual Property Rights

Some of the important international treaties related to intellectual property rights, of which India
is a member, are as follows:

Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works

Adopted on September 9, 1886 at Berne and entered into force on December 4, 1887. This
Convention on Copyrights rests on three basic principles – national treatment, automatic
protection and independence of protection; it also contains a series of provisions determining the
minimum protection to be granted. It came into force in India on April 1, 1928.
Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO)

Adopted on July 14, 1967 at Stockholm and entered into force on April 26, 1970. WIPO was
established under this Convention with two main objectives - to promote the protection of
intellectual property worldwide and to ensure administrative cooperation among the intellectual
property Unions established by the treaties that WIPO administers. India became a member on
May 1, 1975.

Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Adopted on April 15, 1994 at Marrakesh and entered into force on January 1, 1995. WTO was
established to provide the common institutional framework for the conduct of trade relations
among its Members in matters related to the agreements and associated legal instruments. India
became a member to this agreement on January 1, 1995.

World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of

Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement)

Adopted on April 15, 1994 at Marrakesh and entered into force on January 1, 1995. The TRIPS
agreement covers various types of intellectual property and provides guidelines for minimum
standards for protection, procedures and remedies for enforcement of IPR rights and for issues
related to dispute settlement. India became a member on January 1, 1995.

Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property

Adopted on March 20, 1883 at Paris and entered into force on July 7, 1884. It provides basic
guidelines for the protection of industrial property (patents, utility models, industrial designs,
trademarks, service marks, trade names, indications of source or appellations of origin, and the
repression of unfair competition) and has substantive provisions for national treatment, right of
priority and common rules. This treaty came into force in India from December 7, 1998.

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)

Adopted on June 19, 1970 at Washington D.C. and entered into force on January 24, 1978. It
facilitates patent protection for an invention simultaneously in a large number of countries; it
came into force in India from December 7, 1998

Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Micro-

organisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure

Adopted on April 28, 1977 at Budapest and entered into force on August 19, 1980. It provides
guidelines for the deposition of micro-organisms with any "international depositary authority"
for the purpose of patent procedures. This treaty came into force in India from December 17,
2001.
Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International
Registration of Marks:

Adopted on June 27, 1989 at Madrid and entered into force on December 1, 1995. The Madrid
Agreement facilitates the registration of trademarks outside India; it came into force in India
from July 8, 2013.

Enforcement Of Intellectual Property Laws In India

India has a well-established statutory, administrative and judicial framework to safeguard
Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), however, it is still facing problems with the enforcement of
IPR. It has always been a concern about slow judicial system involving lengthy and time-
consuming procedure of trial in India, however, in recent years, Indian Courts have shown
dynamism and zeal for effective protection of Intellectual Property Rights. It has been observed
that by adopting right policies and strategies, IPR can be effectively protected with the help of
law enforcement authorities.
For any IPR related litigation, it is necessary to understand the Indian Judicial system and its
psychology. It has been observed that the Indian Courts are very active in granting equitable
reliefs like injunctions, etc., but are still reluctant in awarding punitive pecuniary damages.
Authorities involved in the Execution of Orders of Courts
The Government Authorities including Police are bound to execute and enforce the orders of
Court, and as such the Courts are empowered to direct any government authority to do or not to
do or prevent / compel any person to comply with the orders of the Court. There are effective
methods for the enforcement of the orders of the Court, including Contempt of Court
proceedings, which provides for a fine as well as imprisonment, in case of non-compliance of the
order of the Court. Execution/ compliance of the orders of the court are also done by way of
appointment of the Local Commissioner/Receivers by the Court. In India, certain State
Governments have formed Special Intellectual Property Cells, which deal with offences relating
to infringement of IPR.
In any civil action for enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, the following reliefs may be
claimed in such suit:
• Permanent Injunction;
• Interim Injunction;
• Damages;
• Accounts and handing over of profits;
• Anton Pillar Order (Appointment of Local Commissioner by the Court for custody/
sealing of infringing material/accounts);
• Delivery up of goods/packing material/dies/plates for destruction.

Additionally, in case of infringement of Trademark, infringement of Copyright, Geographical

Indication, Plant Variety and Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout Design
following Criminal action can also be initiated:
 • Registration of First Information Report (FIR); or
• Filing of a Criminal Complaint before a Competent Magisterial Court with application
for issue of search and seizure warrants directing the police to raid of the premises of the
accused for seizure of the infringing material and arrest of the infringers.
It is interesting to note that in India, wherever provisions have been made for criminal
prosecution for violation of any Intellectual Property Rights, a criminal case can be filed against
known as well as unknown persons. It is also important to note that both civil and criminal
remedies, wherever applicable, can be availed simultaneously and both the remedies are
coexistent.

Competent Court

In India, a suit may be instituted in any Court of original jurisdiction, subject to their pecuniary
and territorial jurisdiction. In relation to IPR litigation, the designation of the lowest court is
"District and Sessions Judge". These cases can also be filed in the High Court, directly, if such
High Court is having original jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of the High Court can be invoked,
subject to the payment of court fees. The structure of court fees payable varies from State to
State.
Border Control Measures for Enforcement of IPR

The Government of India under Section 11 of the (Indian) Customs Act, 1962, is empowered to
prohibit importation and exportation of goods of specified description, if it deems necessary to
do so. The provision, inter alia, empowers the government to prohibit the import or export of
goods for 'the protection of patents, trademarks and copyrights. The goods imported in
contravention of the provisions of the Customs Act or any other laws for the time being in force
are liable to be confiscated. In this regard, a customs officer is empowered to inspect any
premises, conveyance, x-ray any person and effect search and seize in case where they have
reasons to believe that the goods are of contraband nature. They can also investigate or
interrogate any person and arrest him.
Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007

India has notified the Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007.
The rules comply with border measures as required by the TRIPS Agreement empowering the
Customs Officers to enforce IPR over the imported products. Actions under Customs Act are
independent to the remedies provided under various statues on Intellectual Property. As per Rule
2(b) of the Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007, Intellectual
Property includes patents, designs, and geographical indications together with trademarks and
copyrights.
Upon receipt of the Application, in the prescribed format, the Custom Authorities may register
the Complaint and enforce Border Control measure for the protection of the Intellectual Property
Rights. It is important to note that this right is not unfettered. Certain provisions have been also
made and an elaborate procedure has been laid down for the release of the seized goods upon an
application of the importer of the goods.
 Intellectual Property Rights & Biotechnology

Advancements of the biotechnology have been underlined by the various departments of the
biotechnology. Interestingly, most creating nations don’t have solid IPR systems and
achievement instalments. Licensed innovation (IP) is key to the biotechnology business, and
carries with it a measurement, encouraging community-oriented action, regardless of whether it
is a medication disclosure or clinical or advertisement related preliminaries.
Basically, collective movement is the cooperative energy between India’s capacity to give
conditions to explore, clinical preliminaries and advancement, innovative lead and capital
accessibility in created countries. The fruitful interpretation of these cooperative energies into
economically reasonable applications and attractive items basically relies upon the similarity of
guidelines that manage the enlistment and insurance of intellectual property, beginning from the
shared procedure.

Importance of Biotechnology

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (hereinafter referred to as BD Act) provides a mechanism for
access to the genetic resources and benefit-sharing accrued therefrom. Section 6 of the BD Act
came into force on 1st July 2004 and prescribes that obtaining IPRs from the utilization of
biological resources in India is subject to the approval of the National Biodiversity Authority
(hereinafter referred to as NBA).
It is considered to be a science relating to life and that includes the utilization of innovation,
drugs, and various valuable things. Present-day use of the term incorporates hereditary building
just as tissue culture and cell advance. The idea envelops a wide scope of techniques for
changing living beings as per human purposes – returning to the training of creatures,
development of plants, and “upgrades” to these through reproducing plans that utilize counterfeit
determination and hybridization.
For the learning of basic normal methods, the ability to isolate and escalate a particular quality
from the enormous number in a living being’s genome (the finished arrangement of qualities or
hereditary material present in a cell or life form). Doubtlessly, the closeness of complete genome
movements for an expanding number of living things vows to change the way by which these
sciences – and the undertakings subject to them.

How Intellectual Property Rights can Protect Biotechnology?

Intellectual property rights protect one’s innovation. And in biotechnology also the inventor can
be protected by intellectual property rights, but to protect his/her rights one should prove his/her
novelty and innovation of that particular product. According to section 2(1)(j) of the Patents Act,
1970 talks about the invention. It says that for the grant and protection of the invention there
should be a novelty in that invention.
The below following examples in which the intellectual property rights protected the
biotechnology:
Here is one case of how protected innovation rights work in the medicinal services industry.
Government assurance permits organizations to utilize the ® image with a trademark name to
show that it has an enrolled trademark and that nobody else can utilize that name. More than one
organization may sell a similar substance compound, which implies a similar medication,
however, just one organization can legitimately utilize the trademarked name to advertise that
medication.
For instance, while numerous organizations sell the energizer tranquillize fluoxetine
hydrochloride, just Eli Lilly can call it Prozac. In like manner, no one but Roche can utilize the
trademarked name Tamiflu to showcase a medication called Oseltamivir that is intended to
forestall and treat flu. Trademarks aren’t simply utilized with drugs, in any case; they’re
additionally utilized with medical clinic names, doctor practice names and different elements
with particular marking. This is vital to organizations right now, where marking, promoting and
pictures are focal parts of business tasks and vital situating.
As another instance, biotechnology organizations use licenses to secure their protected
innovation rights to medicate conveyance gadgets. AstraZeneca possesses the licensed
innovation rights to the Symbicort Turbuhaler, which is the medication budesonide/formoterol in
a dry powder inhaler for the support treatment of asthma and COPD. Other human services
organizations use licenses to secure their protected innovation rights to gadgets, for example,
braces, prostheses, vision testing machines and the PC frameworks utilized in social insurance
the executives.

IPRs and Traditional Knowledge

What is Traditional Knowledge?

Knowledge base which is developed by indigenous, local or native community has been
preserved and passed on to generations, so much so, that it becomes the identity of such
community. Traditional knowledge can be found in variety of concepts such as calculation of
time, food article, plant properties, spice uses, yoga practices etc. The most essential factor of
Traditional Knowledge is that it has ancient roots and it is often oral.

Why Traditional Knowledge must be protected?

Need to protect traditional knowledge have increased with changing time, especially in order to
stop unauthorized and commercial misuse of such knowledge. It is important to protect the
indigenous people from such loss and also help them to preserve such ancient practices.
Protection to TK shall also promote its wider and efficient use.

Protection of Traditional Knowledge

The most difficult aspect of traditional knowledge is in its protection. There has been a lot of
debate to protect traditional knowledge under IP regime but that in itself faces a lot of challenges
such as; a) under which IP under which traditional knowledge can be protected, b) since every IP
protection is provided for a limited period of time then how will traditional knowledge have a
continuous protection. Protection of traditional knowledge is rooted in the problem of Bio-
piracy. Bio-piracy occurs when there is commercial utilization of traditional knowledge without
proper authorization of the indigenous or local people associated with such knowledge.

How to Protect Traditional Knowledge?

There are methods through which TK can be protected: a) Positive Protection, and b) Defensive
Mechanism. Positive protection means protecting TK by way of enacting laws, rules and
regulations, access and benefit sharing provisions, royalties etc. Defensive Mechanism means
steps taken to prevent acquisition of intellectual property rights over traditional knowledge.
India, for example, followed by the well-known case of USPTO, wherein patent was granted on
healing properties of turmeric and with much difficulty CSIR proved the prior existing
knowledge of such properties of turmeric with help of numerous ancient scriptures and
documents, has adopted a Defensive mechanism to protect its traditional knowledge by way of
setting up a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) in 2001, in collaboration between
Ministry of Ayush and CSIR.
But is TKDL adequate? The digital library, although comprising of voluminous documents and
work of Indian traditional knowledge, has its own shortcomings such as; translation problems,
disclosure of traditional knowledge as prior art is unadvantageous since it leads to public
disclosure of entire traditional knowledge which simultaneously results to fishing expeditions,
further one of the major aspect of traditional knowledge is that it is mostly passed by generations
in oral manner, therefore, a lot of TK has no documentary record and TKDL maintains no record
of oral traditional knowledge.

Adequacy of IP protection to Traditional Knowledge in India

Unlike other categories of intellectual property rights, India has no substantive act or law to
protect traditional knowledge but other IP acts contain provisions with respect to traditional
knowledge such as the Patents Act, 1970, Section 25 and Section 64, gives one of the grounds
for revocation of a patent application on the basis of traditional knowledge. Under the Copyright
Act, 1957, has not specific mention of protecting traditional cultural, literary or artistic work or
folklore but Section 31A provides for protection of unpublished Indian work, nonetheless
Copyright protection in for a limited time period and also demands certain criteria to be fulfilled,
therefore under this IP as well protection of traditional knowledge doesn't have much scope.
Past few years it has been seen that India has actively participated in TK conventions and has
made efforts to protect its TK at international level. Access to Indian TK is available at USPTO
and EPO and CSIR is day by day improving the efficiency of TK database.

Important International TK related conventions

The CBD and the 2010 Nagoya Protocol introduces the recognition and protection of TK at
international level. Article 8(j) of the CBD, requires parties are required to respect and maintain
knowledge held by indigenous communities, and promote broader application of TK based on
fair and equitable benefit-sharing. Article 16 recognizes TK as a 'key technology' for effective
practices of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, with procedural requirements
established in Article 15 for access to genetic resources, including those based on prior informed
consent and mutually agreed terms. The Nagoya Protocol broadens the CBD provisions relating
to access and benefit-sharing.

Intellectual Property (IP) Rights Management

Intellectual property management (IP) is a system that manages intangible creations of the
human intellect and primarily encompasses copyrights, patents, and trademarks. It also includes
other types of rights, including publicity rights, and rights against unfair competition.
Intellectual property rights management / intelligent property rights strategy (IPR strategy) is a
strategy for managing a company’s intellectual property rights portfolio. It also covers the
following intellectual property rights such as patent, trademark protection, design protection, and
copyright.
The law and administrative procedures relating to Intellectual Property Rights have their roots in
Europe. The trend of granting patents and trademarks started in the fourteenth century.
IPR enhances technology advancement in the following ways:
• It implements a device for handling infringement, piracy, and unauthorized use.
• It provides a pool of information to the general public since all formats of Intellectual
Property are published except in case of trade secrets
The term intellectual property rights strategy management is sometimes used as an overarching
strategy for managing the company’s intangible asset, for example, the name of the company, a
service, the logotype, music, computer programs, internal manuals, and working methods,
business concept, etc.…
An intellectual property rights strategy helps the entrepreneur to manage these intangible assets
professionally, to maximize the commercial benefits. IPR covers the questions such as, which
type of patent can be licensed out or sold, what kind of patent should be purchased, other ways to
use the intellectual properties rights, and how to commercialize them and make money.
A good intellectual property rights management should include both an analysis of competitors
and an analysis of risks and take into account the company’s long-term commercial objectives.
Intellectual property rights management needs to know the following:
• Hands-on management experience, ideally in managing the daily operations of an
intellectual property law office.
• Experience as a patent paralegal

Intellectual property rights in India

India is one of the UKs priority overseas markets.

If you plan to do business in India, or if you are already trading there, it is essential to know how
to use, guard and enforce the rights you have over the intellectual property (IP) that you or your
business own.
This guide explains about IP in general, and gives guidance on how to apply these principles in
the Indian market. It describes the issues you may face with IP infringement in India, offers
advice on how you can effectively tackle these, and provides links to sources of further help.
What are intellectual property rights?
Intellectual property (IP) is a term referring to a brand, invention, design or other kind of
creation, which a person or business has legal rights over. Almost all businesses own some form
of IP, which could be a business asset.
Common types of IP include:
• Copyright – this protects written or published works such as books, songs, films, web
content and artistic works;
• Patents – this protects commercial inventions, for example, a new business product or
process; y Designs – this protects designs, such as drawings or computer models;
• Trademarks – this protects signs, symbols, logos, words or sounds that distinguish your
products and services from those of your competitors.
IP can be either registered or unregistered.
With unregistered IP, you automatically have legal rights over your creation. Unregistered forms
of IP include copyright, unregistered design rights, common law trademarks and database rights,
confidential information and trade secrets.
With registered IP, you will have to apply to an authority, such as the Intellectual Property Office
in the UK, to have your rights recognized. If you do not do this, others are free to exploit your
creations. Registered forms of IP include patents, registered trademarks and registered design
rights. Copyright is also registerable.

Protecting Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Abroad

Globalization and the rapid proliferation of technology have elevated the importance of
intellectual property protection for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The intangible
nature of intellectual property and the worldwide lack of standard practices create challenges for
U.S. businesses wishing to protect their inventions, brands, and business methods in foreign
markets. The three most common vehicles for protecting intellectual property are patents,
trademarks, and copyrights. This article is intended to provide exporters with a brief overview of
intellectual property rights and the methods being employed to protect those rights
internationally.

Transatlantic IPR Resource Portal

The U.S. Department of Commerce and the European Commission’s Directorate General (DG)
for Enterprise and Industry have developed the Transatlantic IPR Resource Portal to make it
easier for transatlantic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to find and use the resources
that both governments have developed to protect and enforce intellectual property rights. The
portal was developed by the Market Access and Compliance (MAC) unit of Commerce’s
International Trade Administration in collaboration with DG Enterprise’s Competitiveness
Policy unit.

Report IPR Infringement

You can report suspicions concerning the manufacture or sale of counterfeit or pirated goods to
the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. The IPR Center is a task force that
uses the expertise of its member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, and conduct
investigations related to intellectual property theft. -Report theft of intellectual property to
federal law enforcement at the IPR Center Hotline (1-866-IPR-2060 or 1-866-477-2060) or via
email at IPRCenter@dhs.gov.

Report Barriers to Protecting Your IPR Abroad

If you feel your company’s intellectual property rights have been, or may be adversely affected
by foreign intellectual property protection and enforcement practices, you may file a complaint
electronically with the Office of Intellectual Property Rights within the International Trade
Administration.