GAO Reviews US Overseas IP Attachés

The placement of specialised United States government intellectual property attachés overseas, such as in Beijing and Guangzhou, China; New Delhi, India; and Bangkok, Thailand, has had an overall positive impact on coordination of international IP enforcement efforts, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) testified to Congress today. The GAO is an independent research arm of the government, but started from the premise in its review that more protection and enforcement lead to more innovation.

The GAO testimony entitled, “Intellectual Property: Enhancements to Coordinating US Enforcement Efforts,” was given by Loren Yager, director, international affairs and trade, before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, GAO-10-219T, December 9. Document available here.

The US Patent and Trademark Office has placed eight IP attachés in recent years, with the primary mission of protection and enforcement. USPTO’s first IP attaché was posted in Beijing, in 2004. During 2006 and 2007, USPTO added a second attaché position in Beijing and an attaché position in Guangzhou, and expanded the program to five other countries: Egypt, Thailand, Russia, Brazil, and India. Since then, the Egypt position has been eliminated and a new position in Doha, Qatar, is in the planning stages. The US government also has an IP attaché in Geneva.

IP attachés have adopted practices such as “acting as effective focal points, establishing working groups and leveraging resources through joint activities,” GAO said.