These improvements are recognized in the United States Trade Representative’s 2020 Special 301 report published on April 29, 2020. The Special 301 Report is an annual study of global intellectual property protection and enforcement systems. The 2020 report removes Kuwait from the Priority Watch List – a very important achievement. Kuwait remains on the Watch List as it continues to expand and improve its enforcement capabilities.
Led by the National Library, the Kuwaiti government took concrete steps to reform its copyright regime last summer by passing the 2019 Copyright and Related Rights Law and Implementing Regulations.
The report also recognizes significant and lasting initiatives by enforcement agencies in Kuwait to prevent the importation, distribution and sale of counterfeit and pirated goods. In 2019, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Consumer Protection Department, Kuwait General Administration for Customs Intellectual Property Rights Unit and Ministry of Health’s Drug and Food Control Department seized thousands of illicit and harmful counterfeit and pirated goods from markets, air and seaports, and illegal warehouses.
The U.S. Embassy continues to support the Kuwaiti government in its efforts to enhance its capabilities to protect and enforce intellectual property rights, including for Kuwaiti entrepreneurs and innovative start-up companies.
During the COVID-19 crisis, ensuring the health and personal safety of all individuals, and especially of front-line health and safety workers, is paramount. We must guard against the dangers of using counterfeit or substandard products, which can jeopardize the health of us all. The U.S. Embassy appreciates the many government agencies that have fought and continue to fight against the importation, distribution and sale of counterfeit goods, especially those needed to keep everyone in Kuwait safe and healthy.
