BEIRUT — Economy Minister Amin Salam announced Saturday that Lebanon, along with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Romania, was removed from the United States intellectual property rights protection watchlist.
Here’s what we know:
• According to the state-run National News Agency, Salam said that the US government has decided to remove Lebanon from the list as “a result of the efforts made by the ministry in light of the difficult and exceptional circumstances that Lebanon is going through”
• Salam was referring to the Special 301 review issued on April 27 by the US Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai. The report states that Lebanon was removed from the watch list this year; however, it notes that “stakeholders have not raised significant concerns about IP protection or enforcement during the Special 301 review.”
• The review adds that the “The United States will continue to monitor Lebanon’s IP protection and enforcement regime, including the ratification and implementation of international IP treaties.”
• The United States Trade Representative publishes an annual review of trading partners over concerns of IP protection and enforcement. This year, 27 countries were placed on either the priority watchlist or the watchlist.
• Salam’s statement on Saturday “confirmed Lebanon’s progress towards developing the protection of intellectual property rights.” It added that “over the past years, Lebanon has strengthened and implemented regulations, and the Ministry of Economy and Trade has undertaken many initiatives with international organizations, including an agreement Cooperation that the Minister is working on with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).”
• Established in 1967, and with 193 members, the World Intellectual Property Organization is a United Nations specialized agency, based in Geneva, Switzerland that serves as a “global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation.”