Agreement with France reaffirms long-standing cooperation on IP protection and enforcement The five-year agreement calls for information exchanges, outreach to local businesses, and promotion of the existing Patent Prosecution Highway program.  A new memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed October 1 by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Kathi Vidal and Director General of the National Institute of Industrial Property of France (INPI France) Pascal Faure provides a framework for continued cooperation between the two intellectual property (IP) offices regarding the protection and enforcement of IP. The agreement marks a continuation of the USPTO's long-standing cooperation with INPI France. "We welcome this new agreement with INPI France, which deepens and extends the already strong relationship that has existed between our two offices for many years," said USPTO Director Vidal. "This new agreement will build on that history to bring even stronger cooperation on efforts to protect and enforce IP rights in our two countries." The MOU calls for exchanging information about new challenges to IP protection and enforcement, collaborating on IP-related training initiatives for local IP and business communities, and promoting the existing Patent Prosecution Highway program between the two offices, which was also extended for an additional five years. The agreement goes into effect the date of signing and will continue for five years. For more information about the international protection of IP, visit the USPTO's Pursuing international IP protection webpage. For more information about the existing USPTO-INPI France Patent Prosecution Highway pilot program, visit the USPTO website. | 
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