U.S. Embassy officer hits out at imported faked items

By KEVA LIGHTBOURNE, Guardian Senior Reporter Despite The Bahamas being removed from the United States Trade Representative Special 301 Watchlist last year, there are still some very pertinent matters that must be addressed as intellectual property rights (IPR) "issues are still an area of major concern for this country," a U.S. Embassy official said yesterday. Jefferson K. Dubel, Political Economic Chief in the embassy, warned that the U.S. government has long been an advocate of IPR enforcement, working within its own borders and abroad to protect the rights of those artists who put time and energy into the development of new products. Addressing the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop on Combating Piracy of Intellectual Property at the Sheraton Resort on Cable Beach, Dubel said protecting intellectual property is... [read full story]