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Intellectual Property Rights

2006 Progress Report Announces Implementation of  Task Force’s Previous Recommendations

WASHINGTON—Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales highlighted the results of the Progress Report of the Department of Justice’s Intellectual Property Task Force at the United States Chamber of Commerce’s Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy program today. He specifically announced that the Task Force has fully implemented all 31 recommendations contained in its 2004 report, and in some cases, went well beyond those recommendations.

Among the highlights of the 2006 Progress Report, the Attorney General noted that the Task Force increased the number of prosecutors in the field by not only creating the five additional Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP) Units recommended in the 2004 report, but also by going well beyond that recommendation and creating an additional seven CHIP Units, thereby nearly doubling the number of CHIP Units (from 13 to 25) in less than two years. The seven cities most recently announced in this expansion are Austin, Texas; Baltimore; Denver; Detroit; Newark, N. J.; New Haven, Conn.; and Philadelphia.. The five additional Units created since 2004 are in the District of Columbia; Nashville, Tenn.; Orlando; Pittsburgh; and Sacramento.

The Progress Report also emphasizes that the Department of Justice has deployed an experienced federal prosecutor as an Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordinator (IPLEC) to Southeast Asia and secured funding for an IPLEC in Eastern Europe to handle regional efforts to enforce and protect intellectual property rights. Among other duties, the IPLEC will assist in providing training and technical assistance to foreign prosecutors, investigators, and judges regarding intellectual property investigations and prosecutions. Read more at  usdoj.gov

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	Did You Know?
	The benefits of federal trademark registration are many Benefits of federal trademark registration : 1. Constructive notice nationwide of the trademark owner's claim. 2. Evidence of ownership of the trademark. 3. Jurisdiction of federal courts may be invoked. 4. Registration can be used as a basis for obtaining registration in foreign countries. 5. Registration may be filed with U.S. Customs Service to prevent importation of infringing foreign goods.