7 FAM 690
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
(CT:CON-804; 04-30-2018)
(Office of Origin: CA/OCS)
7 FAM 691 SUMMARY
(CT:CON-780; 01-16-2018)
a. Counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available
in many countries, including the United States. Transactions involving such
products are illegal in most countries and bringing infringing products back to
the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines. The strong
protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights is an important
policy of the U.S. Government.
b. Intellectual Property encompasses a variety of
subject matter, including, but not limited to, copyrights, patents, and
trademarks. Some examples of infringement in these areas include the
following:
Video piracy
Music piracy
Trademark counterfeiting
Software and book piracy
Pharmaceutical counterfeiting
Counterfeiting of consumer and electrical goods
c. Various Department of State offices are responsible
for promoting policies to encourage the protection of intellectual property,
including EB, INL, OES, IO, ECA, and L. Consular Affairs (CA) frequently
encounters these cases in the context of judicial assistance requests when the
matter becomes the subject of litigation or prosecution. (See 7 FAM 900.)
Intellectual property issues are also addressed in certain CA Country Specific
Information. (See 7 FAM 000 Appendix A).
d. In addition to the Department of State, other U.S.
Federal agencies are responsible for intellectual property issues. These
include the following:
(1) U.S. Department of Homeland Security Bureaus of
Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement;
(2) U.S. Department of Justice, including the Federal
Bureau of Investigation;
(3) U.S. Trade Representative;
(4) U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade
Administration; and
(5) U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
7 FAM 692 through 699 Unassigned