The USTR has released its 2015 301 Report, and Indonesia finds itself still on the 'priority watch list’.
The report recognised efforts to advance IPR awareness in Indonesia, and the new copyright and trademark laws. But the USTR commented on numerous problems, including:
- rampant piracy and counterfeiting;
- media box piracy;
- counterfeit pharmaceuticals;
- technology transfer requirements for pharmaceutical industries;
- gaps in legal framework; and
- uncertainty surrounding the grant of compulsory licenses for patents.
The report also included some interesting statistics about enforcement. The USTR reports that the Indonesian National Police investigated 97 criminal IPR cases in 2014, but it is unclear where these statistics have come from or which police units they relate to (Indonesia has four levels of police - MABES, POLDA, POLRES, POLSEK). This contrasts sharply with the claim (in the media) that police investigated 589 cases in 2013 (see here). The USTR also reported that the Attorney General’s Office brought 12 IPR cases to trial in 2014. This number is comparable to the 18 cases decided in 2011 (of 126 that were filed with the Courts) - see here.
The full USTR report is available here.
