Washington, D.C. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection applauds the European Union for establishing a joint US-EU action strategy for intellectual property rights enforcement that President George W. Bush highlighted in remarks at the US-EU Summit in Vienna, Austria this week.

This ground-breaking agreement between the EU and the U.S. envisions closer customs cooperation including more data sharing and joint border enforcement action, joint enforcement in third countries and the creation of joint networks of EU and U.S. diplomats in third countries specially tasked with working on intellectual property protection.

The global economy for counterfeit and pirated goods is massive. The number of counterfeit items seized at EU borders has increased by more than 1000 percent, rising from 10 million in 1998 to over 103 million in 2004. At the U.S. borders, counterfeit goods seizures more than doubled between 2001 and 2005. CBP and the EU recognize it is time for a new global strategy and a much tougher global approach.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection has joined forces with our federal and international law enforcement partners to collaborate with the European Union in targeting intellectual property rights violators," said CBP Commissioner W. Ralph Basham. "CBP continues to strengthen our fight against global trade in fake goods, including detaining and seizing counterfeit and pirated goods at all of our ports of entry."

The EU and the US have now agreed to the following action points:

Improving Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement

Customs Cooperation and Border Enforcement

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection will increase cooperation with the European Union to strengthen border enforcement of intellectual property rights laws based on a five-point plan. This plan includes exchanges of enforcement practices and techniques, joint exercises in targeting and examination of shipments, sharing of enforcement information, cooperative efforts such as issuance of joint guidelines to assist industry in working with customs authorities to enforce IPR, and engagement in a joint IPR border enforcement action.

Bilateral Enforcement

• The U.S. and EU have agreed to step up actions to encourage third countries to enforce IPR laws and to combat counterfeiting and piracy, drawing upon information from industry to coordinate messages on key enforcement issues to complement each others bilateral efforts working with third countries.
• Create bilateral intellectual property networks in Embassies/Delegations in relevant third country capitals to facilitate information sharing, deliver messages, facilitate cooperation on training programs and assist industry enforcement efforts. Specifically, the US and EU will expand cooperative action in Beijing and Moscow with future consideration of extension to other third country capitals.

Multilateral Enforcement

• Facilitate the ongoing Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) intellectual property study by providing data and other resources to support the development of reliable information on the scope and effect of intellectual property theft.
• Support implementation of the 2005 G8 Leaders Statement on Reducing IPR Piracy and Counterfeiting through More Effective Enforcement, in particular in the area of criminal infringements.
• Enhance collaboration against counterfeiting and piracy in relevant multinational venues including the World Trade Organization.
• Encourage and assist third countries to implement the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.
• Strengthen IPR enforcement internationally through coordinated training and assistance programs in third countries.

Promoting Public-Private Partnerships

• Involve industry by providing information on IPR related meetings and activities in third countries to facilitate industry input.
• Launch joint public-private roundtable discussions in third countries to prioritize key enforcement challenges.
• Assist small and medium sized businesses with IPR protection and enforcement challenges in third countries

Working with Industry
Ask industry to:

• Share specific information and intelligence on infringements of their intellectual property rights with customs and other law enforcement authorities.
• Provide information on successful intellectual property coalition models and explore how such models could be expanded to include industries in third countries.
• Provide U.S. and EU with as much reliable and timely information as possible about the intellectual property enforcement environment in key countries to equip senior government officials to address more effectively industry concerns with third country governments.
• Provide the U.S. and EU with information on industry intellectual property awareness and other educational campaigns, including programs for government officials and industry-developed sectoral best practices for enforcement.

CBP will continue to work with the European Union, other U.S. government agencies and industry to reduce the number of counterfeit goods that are sold illegally every year in order to protect American industry from unfair trade practices and foster a fair international trading environment.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control, and protection of our Nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

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