Washington – US Removes Israel From Blacklist Of Patent Violators

Washington D.C. – U.S. officials announced on Friday that it is removing Israel from the Special 301 Report Watch List that identifies trading partners that do not adequately and effectively protect intellectual property rights.

United States Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman made the announcement, noting that Israel, which was placed on the list in 2012, has now passed patent legislation that satisfies the remaining commitments it made in 2010’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two nations.

The MOU outlined a series of legal and regulatory measures Israel would take to make Israel’s patent system more transparent, efficient and effective.

Froman said, “We welcome Israel’s improvement to its patent system and the opportunity to remove Israel from the Special 301 Report Watch List. The successful conclusion of this Understanding reflects USTR’s unwavering commitment to protecting and promoting innovation around the world, and demonstrates that the United States and Israel share this objective.”

“Priority Watch List” and “Watch List” countries are identified by the annual Special 301 Report. “Priority Watchlist countries” are judged by the USTR as having “serious intellectual property rights deficiencies” that require increased USTR attention. “Watch List” countries have been identified by the USTR as having “serious intellectual property rights deficiencies” but are not yet placed on the “Priority Watchlist”.