The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) recently announced that the government of Honduras has undertaken a series of actions to strengthen the protection and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) in the country. Last year the US government took special measures to increase engagement on IP enforcement in the Central American country.
The recent efforts by Honduras grew out of a review by the United States of IP protection in Honduras. The review was made to determine if the country should be placed on the USTR's Special 301 IP Watch List.
"Honduras is to be commended for the new commitments it has made to advancing intellectual property protection and enforcement, and for the collaborative approach it has taken to resolving these issues with us," said U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman.
Froman explained that Honduras will substantially increase the number of prosecutors specializing in criminal IPR enforcement by the end of March. The government of Honduras has also committed to publish quarterly reports on prosecution case activity, in order to promote transparency and accountability as this plan is implemented.
Additionally, the new commitments will address signal piracy in cable and satellite transmissions and the need for greater clarity in the scope of protection for geographical indications (GIs).
Source: https://ustr.gov
Originally published 21 March 2016
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