Collapse to view only § 8112. Definition
- § 8111. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator
- § 8112. Definition
- § 8113. Joint Strategic Plan
- § 8114. Reporting
- § 8115. Savings and repeals
- § 8116. Authorization of appropriations
§ 8111. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator
(a) Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator
(b) Duties of IPEC
(1) In generalThe IPEC shall—
(A) chair the interagency intellectual property enforcement advisory committee established under subsection (b)(3)(A);
(B) coordinate the development of the Joint Strategic Plan against counterfeiting and infringement by the advisory committee under section 8113 of this title;
(C) assist, at the request of the departments and agencies listed in subsection (b)(3)(A), in the implementation of the Joint Strategic Plan;
(D) facilitate the issuance of policy guidance to departments and agencies on basic issues of policy and interpretation, to the extent necessary to assure the coordination of intellectual property enforcement policy and consistency with other law;
(E) report to the President and report to Congress, to the extent consistent with law, regarding domestic and international intellectual property enforcement programs;
(F) report to Congress, as provided in section 8114 of this title, on the implementation of the Joint Strategic Plan, and make recommendations, if any and as appropriate, to Congress for improvements in Federal intellectual property laws and enforcement efforts; and
(G) carry out such other functions as the President may direct.
(2) Limitation on authority
(3) Advisory committee
(A) EstablishmentThere is established an interagency intellectual property enforcement advisory committee composed of the IPEC, who shall chair the committee, and the following members:
(i) Senate-confirmed representatives of the following departments and agencies who are involved in intellectual property enforcement, and who are, or are appointed by, the respective heads of those departments and agencies:(I) The Office of Management and Budget.(II) Relevant units within the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Division.(III) The United States Patent and Trademark Office and other relevant units of the Department of Commerce.(IV) The Office of the United States Trade Representative.(V) The Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Bureau of International Narcotics Law Enforcement.(VI) The Department of Homeland Security, United States Customs and Border Protection, and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.(VII) The Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services.(VIII) The Department of Agriculture.(IX) Any such other agencies as the President determines to be substantially involved in the efforts of the Federal Government to combat counterfeiting and infringement.
(ii) The Register of Copyrights, or a senior representative of the United States Copyright Office appointed by the Register of Copyrights.
(B) Functions
(Pub. L. 110–403, title III, § 301, Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4264.)
§ 8112. Definition
For purposes of this subchapter, the term “intellectual property enforcement” means matters relating to the enforcement of laws protecting copyrights, patents, trademarks, other forms of intellectual property, and trade secrets, both in the United States and abroad, including in particular matters relating to combating counterfeit and infringing goods.
(Pub. L. 110–403, title III, § 302, Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4266.)
§ 8113. Joint Strategic Plan
(a) PurposeThe objectives of the Joint Strategic Plan against counterfeiting and infringement that is referred to in section 8111(b)(1)(B) of this title (in this section referred to as the “joint strategic plan”) are the following:
(1) Reducing counterfeit and infringing goods in the domestic and international supply chain.
(2) Identifying and addressing structural weaknesses, systemic flaws, or other unjustified impediments to effective enforcement action against the financing, production, trafficking, or sale of counterfeit or infringing goods, including identifying duplicative efforts to enforce, investigate, and prosecute intellectual property crimes across the Federal agencies and Departments that comprise the Advisory Committee and recommending how such duplicative efforts may be minimized. Such recommendations may include recommendations on how to reduce duplication in personnel, materials, technologies, and facilities utilized by the agencies and Departments responsible for the enforcement, investigation, or prosecution of intellectual property crimes.
(3) Ensuring that information is identified and shared among the relevant departments and agencies, to the extent permitted by law, including requirements relating to confidentiality and privacy, and to the extent that such sharing of information is consistent with Department of Justice and other law enforcement protocols for handling such information, to aid in the objective of arresting and prosecuting individuals and entities that are knowingly involved in the financing, production, trafficking, or sale of counterfeit or infringing goods.
(4) Disrupting and eliminating domestic and international counterfeiting and infringement networks.
(5) Strengthening the capacity of other countries to protect and enforce intellectual property rights, and reducing the number of countries that fail to enforce laws preventing the financing, production, trafficking, and sale of counterfeit and infringing goods.
(6) Working with other countries to establish international standards and policies for the effective protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
(7) Protecting intellectual property rights overseas by—
(A) working with other countries and exchanging information with appropriate law enforcement agencies in other countries relating to individuals and entities involved in the financing, production, trafficking, or sale of counterfeit and infringing goods;
(B) ensuring that the information referred to in subparagraph (A) is provided to appropriate United States law enforcement agencies in order to assist, as warranted, enforcement activities in cooperation with appropriate law enforcement agencies in other countries; and
(C) building a formal process for consulting with companies, industry associations, labor unions, and other interested groups in other countries with respect to intellectual property enforcement.
(b) Timing
(c) Responsibility of the IPECDuring the development of the joint strategic plan, the IPEC—
(1) shall provide assistance to, and coordinate the meetings and efforts of, the appropriate officers and employees of departments and agencies represented on the advisory committee appointed under section 8111(b)(3) of this title who are involved in intellectual property enforcement; and
(2) may consult with private sector experts in intellectual property enforcement in furtherance of providing assistance to the members of the advisory committee appointed under section 8111(b)(3) of this title.
(d) Responsibilities of other departments and agenciesIn the development and implementation of the joint strategic plan, the heads of the departments and agencies identified under section 8111(b)(3) of this title shall—
(1) designate personnel with expertise and experience in intellectual property enforcement matters to work with the IPEC and other members of the advisory committee; and
(2) share relevant department or agency information with the IPEC and other members of the advisory committee, including statistical information on the enforcement activities of the department or agency against counterfeiting or infringement, and plans for addressing the joint strategic plan, to the extent permitted by law, including requirements relating to confidentiality and privacy, and to the extent that such sharing of information is consistent with Department of Justice and other law enforcement protocols for handling such information.
(e) Contents of the joint strategic planEach joint strategic plan shall include the following:
(1) A description of the priorities identified for carrying out the objectives in the joint strategic plan, including activities of the Federal Government relating to intellectual property enforcement.
(2) A description of the means to be employed to achieve the priorities, including the means for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal Government’s enforcement efforts against counterfeiting and infringement.
(3) Estimates of the resources necessary to fulfill the priorities identified under paragraph (1).
(4) The performance measures to be used to monitor results under the joint strategic plan during the following year.
(5) An analysis of the threat posed by violations of intellectual property rights, including the costs to the economy of the United States resulting from violations of intellectual property laws, and the threats to public health and safety created by counterfeiting and infringement.
(6) An identification of the departments and agencies that will be involved in implementing each priority under paragraph (1).
(7) A strategy for ensuring coordination among the departments and agencies identified under paragraph (6), which will facilitate oversight by the executive branch of, and accountability among, the departments and agencies responsible for carrying out the strategy.
(8) Such other information as is necessary to convey the costs imposed on the United States economy by, and the threats to public health and safety created by, counterfeiting and infringement, and those steps that the Federal Government intends to take over the period covered by the succeeding joint strategic plan to reduce those costs and counter those threats.
(f) Enhancing enforcement efforts of foreign governmentsThe joint strategic plan shall include programs to provide training and technical assistance to foreign governments for the purpose of enhancing the efforts of such governments to enforce laws against counterfeiting and infringement. With respect to such programs, the joint strategic plan shall—
(1) seek to enhance the efficiency and consistency with which Federal resources are expended, and seek to minimize duplication, overlap, or inconsistency of efforts;
(2) identify and give priority to those countries where programs of training and technical assistance can be carried out most effectively and with the greatest benefit to reducing counterfeit and infringing products in the United States market, to protecting the intellectual property rights of United States persons and their licensees, and to protecting the interests of United States persons otherwise harmed by violations of intellectual property rights in those countries;
(3) in identifying the priorities under paragraph (2), be guided by the list of countries identified by the United States Trade Representative under section 2242(a) of title 19; and
(4) develop metrics to measure the effectiveness of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve the laws and enforcement practices of foreign governments against counterfeiting and infringement.
(g) Dissemination of the joint strategic plan
(Pub. L. 110–403, title III, § 303, Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4266.)
§ 8114. Reporting
(a) Annual report
(b) Contents
The report required by this section shall include the following:
(1) The progress made on implementing the strategic plan and on the progress toward fulfillment of the priorities identified under section 8113(e)(1) of this title.
(2) The progress made in efforts to encourage Federal, State, and local government departments and agencies to accord higher priority to intellectual property enforcement.
(3) The progress made in working with foreign countries to investigate, arrest, and prosecute entities and individuals involved in the financing, production, trafficking, and sale of counterfeit and infringing goods.
(4) The manner in which the relevant departments and agencies are working together and sharing information to strengthen intellectual property enforcement.
(5) An assessment of the successes and shortcomings of the efforts of the Federal Government, including departments and agencies represented on the committee established under section 8111(b)(3) of this title.
(6) Recommendations, if any and as appropriate, for any changes in enforcement statutes, regulations, or funding levels that the advisory committee considers would significantly improve the effectiveness or efficiency of the effort of the Federal Government to combat counterfeiting and infringement and otherwise strengthen intellectual property enforcement, including through the elimination or consolidation of duplicative programs or initiatives.
(7) The progress made in strengthening the capacity of countries to protect and enforce intellectual property rights.
(8) The successes and challenges in sharing with other countries information relating to intellectual property enforcement.
(9) The progress made under trade agreements and treaties to protect intellectual property rights of United States persons and their licensees.
(10) The progress made in minimizing duplicative efforts, materials, facilities, and procedures of the Federal agencies and Departments responsible for the enforcement, investigation, or prosecution of intellectual property crimes.
(11) Recommendations, if any and as appropriate, on how to enhance the efficiency and consistency with which Federal funds and resources are expended to enforce, investigate, or prosecute intellectual property crimes, including the extent to which the agencies and Departments responsible for the enforcement, investigation, or prosecution of intellectual property crimes have utilized existing personnel, materials, technologies, and facilities.
(Pub. L. 110–403, title III, § 304, Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4269.)
§ 8115. Savings and repeals
(a) Transition from NIPLECC to IPEC
(1) Omitted
(2) Continuity of performance of duties
(b) Current authorities not affected
Except as provided in subsection (a), nothing in this subchapter shall alter the authority of any department or agency of the United States (including any independent agency) that relates to—
(1) the investigation and prosecution of violations of laws that protect intellectual property rights;
(2) the administrative enforcement, at the borders of the United States, of laws that protect intellectual property rights; or
(3) the United States trade agreements program or international trade.
(c) Rules of construction
Nothing in this subchapter—
(1) shall derogate from the powers, duties, and functions of any of the agencies, departments, or other entities listed or included under section 8111(b)(3)(A) of this title; and
(2) shall be construed to transfer authority regarding the control, use, or allocation of law enforcement resources, or the initiation or prosecution of individual cases or types of cases, from the responsible law enforcement department or agency.
(Pub. L. 110–403, title III, § 305, Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4270.)
§ 8116. Authorization of appropriations
(a)1
1 So in original. No subsec. (b) has been enacted.
In general(Pub. L. 110–403, title III, § 306, Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4270.)