April 2016

Yet Another Reason to Record your Trademark or Copyright with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Co-Authored by Jennifer Diaz and Kristina Hernandez-Tilson, an attorney in Miami, Florida, practices in state and federal court, litigating matters of civil and administrative law. 

Whether you are importing goods to the United States, or are a U.S. trademarks or copyright owner, there is a new law on the books that should be of interest to you, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA), which was signed into law on February 24, 2016.  TFTEA, a bipartisan piece of legislation, is comprehensive in scope. In this Article, we will look specifically at Sections 302 through 311, the section on “Import-Related Protection of Intellectual Property Rights” (IPR). The TFTEA highlights the fact that CBP treats IPR as a priority trade initiative.

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Why Pre-Compliance is a MUST

 

If the thought of monetary penalties, shipment delays, detentions or seizures of merchandise keep you up at night, then this article is for you.  First, it’s quite easy to establish a U.S. company, pick (what you hope is) a terrific customs broker, file Form 5106 with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to request your importer number, pick a surety (there are many, your broker will likely sway you to their favorite) and WALLAH! Right? Wrong. No one sits you down during this process to say, wait, importing can be great, but, this is also a LOT of responsibility. Your company (and SOMETIMES even YOU) have liability and a burden when importing. This article will walk you through YOUR burden as an importer, how CBP can question your imports, and how penalties can ensue and what you should be doing about it, in advance!

Importer’s Burden

The best resource (when you’re ready to read 211 pages) is the “Importing into the U.S.” “A Guide for Commercial Importers” by CBP (last revision in 2006).  The guide discusses the Trade Act of 2002 and the Customs Modernization Act (the “Mod Act”) and the responsibilities that came to fruition for importers as a result. A key feature of the Mod Act is a “relationship between CBP and importers that is characterized by informed compliance”. What this means is now there is a shared responsibility between CBP and the import community, wherein CBP communicates its requirements to the importer, and the importer, […]

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