SPECIAL 301 REPORT

April 30, 2020

India continues to be on the ‘Priority Watch List’ of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for lack of adequate intellectual property (IP) rights protection and enforcement, the USTR said in its Annual Special 301 Report.

Key highlights of the report:

  • India remained one of the most challenging economies for IP enforcement and protection. While India made “meaningful progress” to enhance IP protection and enforcement in some areas over the past year, it did not resolve recent and long-standing challenges, and created new ones.

  • These long-standing concerns were about
    • innovators being able to receive, maintain and enforce patents particularly in the pharmaceutical sector;

    • concerns over copyright laws not incentivising the creation and commercialisation of content; and

    • an outdated trade secrets framework.



  • The report also mentioned high customs duties on medical devices and Information and Communications Technology. 

Source : The Hindu