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The Office of the United States Trade Representative

USTR and Argentine Negotiators Resolve Long-Standing Intellectual Property Rights Issues
Contact: Ricardo Reyes (202) 395-3230 04/19/2002


WASHINGTON - Intellectual Property Rights officials from the United States and Argentina, meeting in Buenos Aires, finalized the elements of a joint notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding intellectual property matters. This culminates three years of work done in WTO dispute settlement consultations, and allows the two countries to implement the progress made during this period. The outcome, which was announced following the April 14 meeting of the U.S. Argentina Bilateral Council on Trade and Investment, reflects a commitment of both sides to use creative approaches in solving vexing trade issues.

In the joint notification, Argentina clarified how certain aspects of its intellectual property system, such as those related to its import restriction regime, operate in conformance with the WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. In addition, Argentina agreed to amend its patent law to provide protection for products obtained from a process patent and to ensure that preliminary injunctions are available in intellectual property court proceedings, among other amendments. Finally, on the outstanding issues that remain, including that of data protection, the United States retains its right to seek resolution under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism. The two countries will notify the WTO of this agreement, describing the details.

The United States is committed to giving full consideration to Argentine requests to expand market access for Argentine products under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) as soon as the legislation re-authorizing the GSP trade preferences is enacted.