Bangladesh, Iraq & South Africa lead in trademark processing delays

Released recently, the ‘2024 Special 301 Report’ highlights delays in obtaining trademark registrations as a significant barrier to protecting intellectual property (IP) rights in foreign markets.

Apart from Bangladesh, Iraq, and South Africa were also identified for their trademark processing delays even as the report, encompassing a wide range of concerns, emphasised challenges in border and criminal enforcement against counterfeits, high levels of online piracy, and inadequacies in trade secret protection and enforcement, among other systemic issues regarding IP protection and enforcement globally.

Referencing a joint study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the report underscored Bangladesh’s position as one of the top five source economies for counterfeit clothing.

The study revealed that China and Hong Kong accounted for over 85 per cent of global seizures of counterfeit goods from 2017 to 2019.

Addressing the concerns raised in the report, Zakia Sultana, senior secretary of the Industries Ministry in Bangladesh, acknowledged efforts to expedite trademark application processing.

However, she noted procedural hurdles in expediting patent applications, indicating plans to introduce an automated system for patent registration to streamline the process.

Regarding counterfeit clothing allegations, Sultana affirmed strict monitoring by the Industries Ministry, denying its production in Bangladesh. Nonetheless, the USTR report underscored the potential health and safety risks posed by counterfeit products, emphasising the need for effective enforcement against trademark counterfeiting to mitigate such risks.

The ‘Special 301 Report’ serves as an annual evaluation of IP protection and enforcement worldwide, with a focus on over 100 trading partners.

Seven countries, including Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and Venezuela, were placed on the ‘priority watch list’ due to significant IP protection and enforcement issues.

Highlighting progress made by some trading partners like the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan, USTR Katherine Tai stressed the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing IP violations to ensure trade supports the interests of all stakeholders.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR)