Register notice to identify whether a particular trading partner should be named as a Priority Foreign Country (PFC), placed on the Priority Watch List (PWL) or Watch List (WL), or not listed in the Report, and that were received by the deadlines provided in the notice. Following extensive research and analysis, USTR has listed 37 trading partners as follows:
Priority Watch List: Algeria; Argentina; Chile; China; India; Indonesia; Pakistan; Russia; Thailand; and Venezuela; and
Watch List: Barbados; Belarus; Bolivia; Brazil; Bulgaria; Canada; Colombia; Costa Rica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; Finland; Greece; Guatemala; Jamaica; Kuwait; Lebanon; Mexico; Paraguay; Peru; Romania; Tajikistan; Trinidad and Tobago; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan; and Vietnam.
The Report also provides an update on the results of the Section 301 investigation of Ukraine following Ukraine's designation as a Priority Foreign Country on May 1, 2013.
Out-of-Cycle Reviews
An Out-of-Cycle Review (OCR) is a tool that USTR uses to encourage progress on IPR issues of concern. It provides an opportunity for heightened engagement and cooperation with trading partners to address and remedy such issues. Successful resolution of specific IPR issues of concern can also lead to a change in a trading partner's Special 301status outside of the typical time frame for the annual Special 301 Report. In the coming months, USTR will conduct OCRs of Priority Watch List country India and Watch List countries Kuwait and Paraguay. Details appear in the country-specific discussions below. Although Spain is not listed in the 2014 Special 301 Report, USTR will continue to conduct an OCR of Spain, announced in 2013, that is focused in particular on concrete steps taken by Spain to combat copyright piracy over the Internet. USTR may conduct additional OCRs of other trading partners as circumstances warrant, or as requested by the trading partner.
Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets
In 2010, USTR began publishing the Notorious Markets List as an OCR separately from the annual Special 301 Report. The Notorious Markets List identifies selected markets, including online markets, that are reportedly engaged in piracy and counterfeiting, according to information submitted to USTR in response to a request for comments pursuant to a Federal Register notice. USTR requested such comments on September 20, 2013, and published the 2013 Notorious Markets List on February 12, 2014. USTR plans to conduct its next Notorious Markets OCR in the fall of 2014. The Notorious Markets List is available at www.ustr.gov.
Format of the Special 301 Report
The Special 301 Report is divided into the following two Sections and three Annexes.
- Section I. Developments in Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Enforcement discusses broad global trends and issues in IPR protection and enforcement that the U.S. Government works to address on a daily basis.
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