Security Director's Report

Two new reports shed light on which countries have the least favorable intellectual property environments, i.e., where the threat of piracy or counterfeiting of intellectual property is greatest. The United States Trade Representative’s (USTR; www.ustr.gov) "2007 Special 301 Report" identified 11 countries on its annual priority watch list. In a survey of international companies, respondents ranked countries with the worst legislation, enforcement, and public awareness toward intellectual property protection ("Global Survey on Counterfeiting and Piracy," International Chamber of Commerce, Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy, 2007). The dangerous locales are identified below: