Trade group seeks more U.S. pressure on India over patent protection

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday called on the government to ratchet up pressure on India over intellectual property rights, in a move that could help prevent Indian companies from producing cheap generic versions of medicines still under patent protection. In a submission to the Office of U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the Chamber of Commerce requested that India be classified a Priority Foreign Country, a tag given to the worst offenders when it comes to protecting intellectual property, and one that could trigger trade sanctions. India is currently on the U.S. government's Priority Watch List for countries whose practices on protecting intellectual property Washington believes should be monitored closely. In its new submission, the Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) of the Chamber of Commerce said: "We highlight India as a country with particular challenges with respect to intellectual property protections." "Because India has not shown a record of engagement on these issues and the environment has deteriorated significantly since last year, we are now recommending that India be designated a Priority Foreign Country," it said.