Philippines still on US list of countries with pirated, fake goods

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The Philippines remains on the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) “watch list” of nations where pirated and counterfeit goods are readily available, according to the US Department of State.

In a report posted on the website of the US Embassy in Manila, the state department said the USTR “retained the Philippines on its Special 301 Watch List for 2011.” Manila was also on the list in 2010.

The USTR “lauded recently passed legislation aimed at illegal video recording in movie theaters and Philippine efforts to enforce bans on pirated and counterfeit goods.”

The Washington, DC-based agency, however, “lamented inherent weaknesses within the judiciary system that lead to limited enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights laws,” noted the state department.

The USTR—which is responsible for developing and coordinating American international trade, commodities and direct investment policies—expressed concern over the ineffective enforcement of intellectual property rights in the Philippines.

Aside from the Philippines, other countries on the USTR watch list of havens of fake clothing, shoes, watches and handbags include Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Finland, Greece, Guatemala, Romania, Spain and Ukraine.

On the other hand, 11 nations are on the USTR’s “priority watch list”—China, Russia, Algeria, Argentina, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand and Venezuela.

Originally posted at 05:02 pm | Thursday, March 08,  2012