By John Lee.
The United States has criticised Iraq, among other countries, for its failure to protect intellectual property rights.
In its recently-published 2022 Special 301 Report, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) says stakeholders continue to report notable levels of piracy through Illicit Streaming Devices (ISDs) and illicit Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) apps in several countries including Iraq.
It says China, in particular, is a manufacturing hub for these devices, and "Iraq is reportedly a source of satellite receivers pre-loaded with pirate IPTV apps."
It adds that numerous countries including Algeria, China, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates require burdensome formalities for filing documents such as intellectual property (IP) applications, registration maintenance, transfer of ownership submissions, and in opposition and cancellation proceedings.
"Delays in obtaining registrations present a significant obstacle for protecting IP rights in foreign markets, with stakeholders identifying Iraq and South Africa as countries with extreme delays in processing trademark applications," it says.
The full report can be downloaded here.
(Source: USTR)
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