Bush administration strengthens intellectual property protections

Bush administration strengthens intellectual property protections    The Bush administration has announced several measures this week to strengthen the country’s fight against intellectual property theft.
   The new measures include the appointment of intellectual property rights (IPR) experts in overseas countries, such as Brazil, China, India and Russia. These experts will have both legal and technical expertise to advocate improved IPR protections.
   The Small-Business Outreach Initiative is an ongoing series of two-day seminars around the country to educate small businesses on how to protect and enforce their intellectual property rights domestically and abroad, the administration said.
   Another measure will be the creation of the Global IPR Academy, which will work closely with other federal government agencies to provide training on IPR issues to officials from developing countries.
   In July, the Bush administration also announced the senior-level appointment of a coordinator of intellectual property enforcement to help fight these violations.
   Intellectual property rights violations cost U.S. companies an estimated $250 billion per year, the Commerce Department said.