News

In the “Special 301 Report” of the US Trade Representative bureau announced on 1 May, Lithuania was not included into the priority watch list of intellectual property protection. The countries included into the list may be subject to US trade sanctions if they do not improve the quality of property rights’ protection. After evaluating efforts by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau, the Customs Department under the Lithuanian Ministry of Finance, as well as prosecutors and judges in the fight against production and distribution of pirate copies, Lithuania did not move from the non-priority watch list, on which it is since 2000. “Lithuania welcomes such a decision by the US Administration that was of great importance to our State, both in terms of international prestige and in the context of bilateral Lithuanian-American relations”, said Director of the Economy Department of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Romas Švedas.