Al Bawaba

US cites recommendations regarding FTA with Kuwait

02-04-2006

An annual reports released by the US Congress on Friday revealed that intellectual property rights remain a sticking point in progress towards a Free Trade Agreement between Kuwait and the US.

Despite citing lax copyright laws which must be improved in order to push forward with the FTA, the 2006 National Trade Estimate Report also commended Kuwait on progress it had made thus far on intellectual property laws, according to KUNA.

Increased efforts to protect intellectual property rights have improved however as a result of more frequent inspections, the annual report stated.

However, such inspections have only reduced the number of vendors “openly selling pirated and counterfeit goods, but have not curbed their growth," the report added.

"Sales of pirated and counterfeit goods remain high in Kuwait," it pointed out.