(More on the USTR Special 301. link)
On Thursday January 28, 2021, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) submitted comments to the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) Special 301 Review process. The USTR conducts an annual review of other countries’ intellectual property policies and enforcement measures, and issues a resultant Special 301 Report to name and shame countries. Some of the outlined offenses in reports past include piracy and counterfeits, but the USTR also uses the report to put pressure on countries’ for their efforts to leverage TRIPS flexibilities to increase access to medicines for their populations.
KEI has regularly provided comments and testified before the hearings held by the Special 301 Committee, and is often one of the few non-government, non-industry entities to engage in the process. One major difference in the process this year is that USTR will not be holding a hearing with public testimony.
KEI’s 2021 comments include critiques of the Special 301 process as well as the policies the USTR seeks to advance.
A PDF of KEI’s comments is available here: KEI_Comments_2021_Special301_Review