US Puts India On "Priority Watch List" For Alleged IP Rights Violations
New Delhi:
The United States has placed India, along with China and Russia, on its "priority watchlist" of countries on its radar for alleged deficiencies and violations of intellectual property rights (IPR). Citing New Delhi's "inconsistent progress", the Special 301 Report of 2025, released by the US Trade Representative's office, called India one of the "most challenging major economies with respect to protection and enforcement of IP."
USTR's annual report l ists eight countries on its "priority watch list" for deficiencies and violations of IP rights-- including India, Mexico, China, Chile, Argentina, Indonesia, Russia and Venezuela. At least 18 other countries have also been put on the watch list, including Vietnam, Brazil, Algeria, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and Turkey.
What Is 'Special 301' Report
The Special 301 Report is an annual review by the US of countries on how they protect and enforce IPR. Each year, after research and analysis of more than 100 trading partners, USTR draws a list of countries that fail to address US concerns.
USTR conducts this review under Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows America to take actions against countries that engage in unfair or discriminatory trade practices, burdening US commerce. These actions can range from imposing tariffs to investigating trade practices and even taking retaliatory measures.
Why India Is On The List
The report said that India has been retained on the list, particularly due to continuing patent issues. "Among other concerns, the potential threat of patent revocations and the procedural and discretionary invocation of patentability criteria under the Indian Patents Act impact companies across different sectors," the report said.
"Moreover, patent applicants generally continue to confront long waiting periods to receive patent grants and excessive reporting requirements. Stakeholders continue to express concerns over vagueness in the interpretation of the Indian Patents Act," it added
The report also acknowledged the actions taken by India to promote and enforce IP protection in some areas and steps taken to partially address long-standing issues with patent pre-grant opposition proceedings and cumbersome reporting requirements by notifying the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2024.
Another issue highlighted against India in the report is the high levels of online piracy and the lack of effective enforcement. It also said India, along with China, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore, were the top countries of origin for counterfeit pharmaceuticals seized at the US border in 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
TRADE, not Russia or Iran: Inside the high-stakes 90-minute Xi-Trump trade talks
Presidents Trump and Xi engaged in a phone call primarily focused on economic matters, setting aside geopolitical tensions. Trump highlighted progress on rare earth products and announced upcoming trade talks led by key officials, while Xi emphasized dialogue and urged the cancellation of negative measures against China, also extending an invitation to visit. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Xi calls dialogue with Trump 'only right choice' Amid strained ties and a stalled trade pact, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call on Thursday that focused 'almost entirely' on economic matters, said Trump shortly after the two leaders steered clear of discussing sensitive geopolitical issues including the Russia-Ukraine war and Washington's tensions with Iran, the US President described the call as 'very good' and said it led to 'a very positive conclusion for both countries.'In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said, 'There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products ,' hinting at new understandings around strategic trade US president also confirmed that follow-up meetings between trade representatives of the two nations would take place soon, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer leading the American delegation on Trump administration's added that Chinese President Xi had 'graciously invited the First Lady and me to visit China,' and that he had reciprocated the state media quoted President Xi as calling dialogue and cooperation 'the only right choice' for both countries, adding that 'both sides should strive for a win-win outcome," Reuters reported citing urged Washington to cancel its 'negative measures' against China and said both nations must make good use of the established economic and trade consultation mechanism. He also emphasized enhancing exchanges in diplomacy, trade, the military, and law enforcement.'China has sincerity, and has principle,' Xi said, per state broadcaster CCTV, and called for careful handling of sensitive issues such as Taiwan. He also noted that some consensus had been reached in prior talks and that both parties should abide by renewed contact between the world's two largest economies comes amid an effort to stabilize a fragile trade truce.
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
India, US Push To Close Interim Tariff Deal As Trump's Deadline Nears
Indian and US are holding high-level talks this week, aiming to finalise tariff cuts in sectors such as farm and automobiles as part of an interim deal, two government sources said, with an announcement likely later this month. A US delegation led by senior officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) began closed-door, two-day discussions in New Delhi on Thursday with Indian trade officials headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, the sources said. "During the current round of talks, negotiators are discussing tariff cuts on specific sectors including agriculture and autos, and proposed benefits for Indian companies," one Indian government source, said. The deal may be formally announced by month end, before the self-imposed deadline of July 9 by President Trump, but a statement is expected once meetings wrap up, possibly by Sunday, a second official said. Trade Minister Piyush Goyal, currently in Italy, may return to meet the delegation, the official added. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions. Indian trade ministry didn't immediately respond to requests for comments. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in Washington on Monday that trade negotiations were progressing and a deal could be finalised soon. India and the U.S. agreed in February to work on a phased deal, aiming to lift bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. Officials said, India, buoyed by recent trade pact with the UK, and EU talks, is resisting U.S. demands to open its farm and dairy markets, citing potential rural backlash. "We are ready to offer a better deal than the UK pact, with average tariffs down to 10%, matching the U.S. base rate, and near-zero duties with quotas in exchange for market access and supply chain linkages," a third official said. Washington has flagged India's average farm tariff of 39%, with some duties reaching 45-50%. It is also pushing India to allow corn imports for ethanol production. Bilateral trade with the U.S., India's largest trading partner, rose to $129 billion in 2024, with India posting a $45.7 billion surplus. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
India, US race to seal interim tariff deal ahead of Trump's July deadline
Indian and US are holding high-level talks this week, aiming to finalise tariff cuts in sectors such as farm and automobiles as part of an interim deal, two government sources said, with an announcement likely later this month. A US delegation led by senior officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) began closed-door, two-day discussions in New Delhi on Thursday with Indian trade officials headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, the sources said. "During the current round of talks, negotiators are discussing tariff cuts on specific sectors including agriculture and autos, and proposed benefits for Indian companies," one Indian government source, said. The deal may be formally announced by month end, before the self-imposed deadline of July 9 by President Trump, but a statement is expected once meetings wrap up, possibly by Sunday, a second official said. Trade Minister Piyush Goyal, currently in Italy, may return to meet the delegation, the official added. The officials said spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions. Indian trade ministry didn't immediately respond to requests for comments. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in Washington on Monday that trade negotiations were progressing and a deal could be finalised soon. India and the US agreed in February to work on a phased deal, aiming to lift bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. Officials said, India, buoyed by recent trade pact with the UK, and EU talks, is resisting US demands to open its farm and dairy markets, citing potential rural backlash. "We are ready to offer a better deal than the UK pact, with average tariffs down to 10 per cent, matching the US base rate, and near-zero duties with quotas in exchange for market access and supply chain linkages," a third official said. Washington has flagged India's average farm tariff of 39 per cent, with some duties reaching 45-50 per cent. It is also pushing India to allow corn imports for ethanol production. Bilateral trade with the US, India's largest trading partner, rose to $129 billion in 2024, with India posting a $45.7 billion surplus.
