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US Keeps China, Puts Canada on IP Priority Watch List (reuters.com)
The Trump administration on Friday labeled 36 countries as inadequately protecting U.S. intellectual property rights, keeping China on a priority watch list and adding Canada over concerns about its border controls and pharmaceutical practices. From a report: The U.S. Trade Representative's annual report on global IP concerns is separate from the "Section 301" report on Chinese technology transfer practices that has led the world's two largest economies to threaten each other with tariffs. The so-called "Special 301 Report on Intellectual Property Rights" calls out China for its "coercive technology transfer practices" and "trade secret theft, rampant online piracy, and counterfeit manufacturing." It was the 14th straight year that China was placed on the "Priority Watch List." U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is due to travel to China next week along with other senior Trump administration officials for talks on U.S. demands for changes in Beijing's trade and intellectual property policies.
That's, OK, you're on our "assholes to try to stop doing business with" list.
So sorry we won't put our national sovereignty and our own legally enshrined rights behind those of asshole corporations -- as much as that's what they've paid your leaders to try to do.
It won't be long before the US shoots themselves in the foot and starts losing trade as other countries decide putting up with your bullshit isn't worth the effort.
But keep on trying to act like we all need you and are willing to sign terrible deals to have the privilege of trading with you.
In the case of Canada's pharmaceutical practices, they result in prices so cheap that many Americans travel to Canada to obtain drugs. This smacks of corporate cronyism steering Trump's decisions. Drain the swamp... my ass.
I'm going to assume this has something to do with generic drugs? I guess drug companies in the US are more concerned about making a buck than actually helping people. In Canada, most essential drugs have a generic or no-name equivalent which is often cheaper than the brand name drug and works just as well. I sure hope that isn't their complaint because that particular law makes drugs cheaper for the folks who need it.
Which country is letting large numbers of immigrants illegally cross the border into Quebec and Manitoba the past few years? President Trump doesn't seem to concerned about stopping that from happening. Our current government is also part of the problem.
As for the "pharmaceutical practices" I don't know about IP issues, but I know the cost of drugs here isn't nearly as ridiculous as things are becoming in the U.S. Sorry we aren't letting drug companies rip off people as badly as they do in your country, Mr. President.
The U.S. has now been added to the list of #shithole countries.
AC comments get piped to
Not at the time they were invented, no. Lasers were originally conceived and the foundation for them laid down in the 1920s. It took until the 1980s when they were actually something you could market.
You think any company invests into something with a 60 years development period?
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Trump is also currently in the process of renegotiating NAFTA with Canada and is prone to slinging a little mud at his opponents during negotiations (right out of "The Art of the Deal").
Support Right To Repair Legislation.
Nonsense. The "301 report" is, and always has been, crooked.
See: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2017/03/canadian-government-on-u-s-special-301-we-dont-recognize-validity-of-flawed-report/
(begin excerpt of Professor Michael Geist's excellent article)
The Canadian government stance is described thus:
[Author] recently obtained documents under the Access to Information Act that confirm the Canadian government’s rejection of the Special 301 process. Canada will not bother appearing today largely because it rejects the entire process. According to a memorandum drafted for Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly after last years’ report:
The Government of Canada does not recognize the validity of the process as the findings tend to rely predominantly on allegations from U.S. industry stakeholders rather than on objective analysis.
Media lines go even further:
Canada does not recognize the validity of the Special 301 and considers the process and the Report to be flawed. The Report fails to employ a clear methodology and the findings tend to rely on industry allegations rather than empirical evidence and objective analysis.
(end excerpt)
Oh, and while you're injecting your next insulin shot to keep from dying because of diabetes, try to remember that Frederick Banting, the medical researcher and doctor and Nobel Prize winner who figured out how to keep your obese ass alive, was CANADIAN!
ALSO note: http://clinchem.aaccjnls.org/content/48/12/2270
"On January 23, 1923, an American patent on both insulin and Toronto’s method of making it was awarded to Banting, Collip, and Best. For $1.00 to each, the three discoverers assigned their patent rights to the Board of Governors of the University of Toronto."
Back then the researchers weren't so greedy! Mind you, Martin Shkreli wasn't born yet.
have just come to expect Mr Trump to be what could charitably be called erratic.
I'd think that is similar to the view from the rest of the world as well.