Senators Want Reports On Chinese IP Infringement

The leaders of the Senate Finance Committee Monday asked the US International Trade Commission to investigate the effects of infringement originating from China of U.S. intellectual property and Chinese policies that they say harm the US firms.

In a letter to ITC Chairwoman Shara Aranoff, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Montana) and ranking member Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) asked the commission to craft two reports on Chinese policies that they say harm the U.S. economy and jobs. Among the issues they would like the reports to examine include concerns over "indigenous" innovation policies they say favor Chinese products over foreign products. Several U.S. industry groups including the Business Software Alliance, the Information Technology Industry Council and TechAmerica have voiced concern about a Chinese policy unveiled late last year that would require companies that want to sell certain products to Chinese government agencies to ensure the intellectual property used in those products is developed and owned in China. In the first report requested by the Finance Committee leaders, which is due Nov. 19, the commission is asked to detail China's indigenous innovation polices and their effects on the U.S. economy and jobs. The second report they asked the ITIC to conduct should detail the size and scope of IP infringement in China and its effects on U.S. firms. The second report is due May 2, 2011.