 |
On January 24, 2014, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a request for written submissions [Docket No. USTR-2014-0003] concerning the 2013 Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Spain. Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2242) requires USTR to identify countries that deny adequate and effective protection of IPR or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on intellectual property protection. The provisions of Section 182 are commonly referred to as the “Special 301” provisions of the Trade Act.
In the 2013 Special 301 Report, USTR announced that, in order to monitor progress on specific intellectual property rights (IPR) issues, an Out-of-Cycle Review (OCR) would be conducted for El Salvador and Spain. USTR requests written submissions from the public concerning any act, policy, or practice that is relevant to the decision regarding whether Spain should be identified under Section 182 of the Trade Act. The deadline for the public, except foreign governments, to submit written comments is February 14, 2014. The deadline for foreign governments to submit written comments is February 21, 2014. Please note that on January 3, 2014, USTR issued a request for comments from the public and provided notice of a public hearing related to the 2014 Special 301 Review [Docket number USTR-2013-0040]. The public is not required to respond to both notices. Written submissions related to Spain filed under docket number USTR-2013-0040 will be taken into consideration in this Out-of-Cycle Review. |
