China: Intellectual Property Infringement, Indigenous Innovation Policies, and Frameworks for Measuring the Effects on the U.S. Economy. Investigation No. 332-514

摘要

Intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement in China reduces market opportunities and undermines the profitability of U.S. firms when sales of products and technologies are undercut by competition from illegal, lower-cost imitations. Intellectual property (IP) is often the most valuable asset that a company holds, but many companies, particularly smaller ones, lack the resources and expertise necessary to protect their IP in China. Indigenous innovation policies, which promote the development, commercialization, and purchase of Chinese products and technologies, may also be disadvantaging U.S. and other foreign firms and creating new barriers to foreign direct investment (FDI) and exports to China. Chinas World Trade Organization (WTO) accession in 2001 marked a milestone in the countrys integration in the global economy. China has developed into one of the worlds most important growth markets and is now the second-largest U.S. trading partner (after Canada). As one important aspect of WTO accession, China committed to complying with the requirements of the WTO Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. However, IPR infringement in Chinaincluding violations of copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secretsremains a central area of U.S. concern in the bilateral trade relationship.